Unexpected
by squidgeey
Summary: Shanny, season five spoilers, Danny and Lindsay don't work out as planned. slash later on
1. Prologue

**Yo peeps I'm back! Hope you like this, methinks it'll be quite long.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY but man I really wish I did so I could sort out the crap that's going on right now.**

_**Prologue**_

_This was all such a long time, I wonder if there's any point in reliving it. Some of what I'm going to tell you was the worst part of my whole life. But most of it was the best. I'm sure you've all read so many stories that start off like this, and really I'm just a poet, but LBS suggested I write it down. We're so happy now, it won't do any harm. Maybe one day I'll tell Junior. Maybe._


	2. October, November, December, January

**October, November, December, January **

_"To love, honour and protect her in sickness and in health…"_

Lindsay sat on the edge of the couch, jiggling her baby, Susanne, in her arms, glancing nervously at the clock, waiting, just waiting, like she did every goddamn night. The minutes passed so slowly. Susanne fell asleep. Lindsay got up, tears rolling down her cheeks as she realised, for the hundredth time, that her husband wouldn't be back until past midnight, sometimes he didn't come home at all, and when he did, he was invariably drunk.

She didn't sleep, of course she didn't. Tonight was one of those nights when Danny didn't come home at all.

In the morning Lindsay changed Susanne, gave her breakfast and called Danny's cell. No answer. Of course not. Marriage to Danny wasn't exactly what Lindsay had expected it to be. For god's sake he was the one who'd asked her to marry him! He seemed fine when she told him she was pregnant. But now, something had come over him. They hadn't slept together in months, since, when did they marry? Oh yes, 12th October 2008, almost a month before Susanne was born. He'd seemed fine then. Then things go worse and worse and now; 25th of January, they were the worst they could possibly be. When he did come home he argued about taking care of the baby, he wouldn't touch either her or Lindsay, he wasn't interested in anything, he was getting thin and tired. At the beginning Lindsay had said it was the shock of fatherhood and marriage, it was the late nights, the commitment, but now she had to accept that things just weren't right, and if Danny didn't try there wouldn't be any marriage. It hurt to think that. She loved him so much and he didn't seem to love her or Susanne at all anymore.

Lindsay stirred Susanne's food. She remembered the old Danny, before their relationship even, he was so carefree and young back then, now, although only thirty-five he looked about forty, and acted seventeen. She heard the key in the lock. She turned. There he was. She didn't say anything. What was there to say that hadn't already been said in the endless arguments? She looked away. Danny went into the bedroom. Lindsay tensed up. Susanne sensed it. Lindsay remembered Christmas, and Thanksgiving, the worst holidays she'd ever had. There had been no Christmas or Thanksgiving, only Danny getting drunk with his mates, and her sitting with Susanne, crying. Why did they put themselves through this? Danny came out of the bedroom, pulling a fresh shirt over his head. He stood still. There was an awkward pause. He left. She burst into tears.

Danny's hand hovered above the keyhole. Did he really want to go in? He heard Susanne gurgle. He entered. She gave him that accusing look again, the one that only made him angry because he knew he deserved it.

"Danny--" Shut up, shut up. He didn't want to hear her whiney voice anymore. "One of my friends asked if I wanted to go out tonight."

"So?" He got a beer from the fridge.

"Take care of Susanne for the night. Please." Pause. "Danny you don't do anything to hep me out with her. You don't do anything to help our marriage--"

"Yahdahyahdahyahdah" Danny replied brutally. "Same thing over and over." Lindsay was hurt.

"I wouldn't have to say it over and over if you'd take responsibility." Danny gave a terrifying laugh. Lindsay stood up, furious. "Take her!" Danny looked round at her holding out Susanne. "Just take her Danny please, so I can get out of here for at least one night!" Danny put down the beer and came over. He took Susanne from her. Susanne started to cry.

"She doesn't know who I am."

"Are you surprised?" Susanne cried harder. Danny gave her back to Lindsay.

"Danny--!"

"I'll call you a babysitter."

"Where are you going?!"

"Anywhere other than here."

"You asshole!!" Danny slammed the door shut. Lindsay screamed out of frustration.

The next morning Danny found himself crashed out in the lobby of their building. When he got upstairs, it was just another argument, and in the end he went into the bedroom.

"Danny! For god's sake!" Lindsay waited. What was he doing in there, sleeping? Danny came out with a bag slung across his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Kicking myself out."

"No--!" Danny turned.

"Stella and my mum will help you out." All of a sudden he was calm. "I'm sorry Lindsay, but I don't see the point of carrying on like this. We need a break. At least I need a break."

"I do too!"

"There you go then." He left. Again. That was how February began.

_Yeeees? Do you like? I'm pretty sure that all the dates are out of sync with the actual series but meh, I need it like this, you'll see later on.;-) xxxxx_


	3. YW,OGC And 2 Glasses Of Pineapple Juice

**Yellow Walls, Olive Green Carpets And Two Glasses Of Pineapple Juice**

Danny dragged himself through Central Park, musing over everything that had happened. What a waste of $25. In the end, it was like he'd forced himself into loving Lindsay just because she'd seemed so unattainable at the beginning. He'd enjoyed the chase, but for some reason the prize wasn't so great.

Eventually Danny found himself a secluded bench, or as secluded as can be in Central Park. It was getting dark. He'd been walking for hours. He dropped down and tipped his head over the back of the bench, wondering where the fuck he was going to stay. Don's? Don had his own girlfriend. Stella? She was a girl. Mac's? Danny mentally shook himself. Fuck that, he thought, Mac doesn't give a crap about you, he'd just wring your neck for dumping on Lindsay like that. No, Mac was definitely out of the question. Who else could he stay with? A voice broke through his thoughts, a soft, gentle voice.

"Practising for when you lose your job?" Danny sat up quickly and turned to see Sheldon smiling at him. Danny flopped back against the bench. Sheldon sat down next to him. "You ok? Has Lindsay kicked you out?" Danny laughed ruefully.

"No, I kicked myself out." He leaned forwards and rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Ah, crap." He blinked, his eye watering. Sheldon leaned forwards as well.

"You ok Danny?" Danny tried to stop his eye from blinking quite so spastically.

"Yeah, it's just my lens…" Sheldon turned Danny's face towards him, his fingers warm and light.

"Let me have a look." Danny sat still as Sheldon gently lifted his eyelid. "Look up." Danny obliged and promptly felt a pain going up his forehead. "Woah, ok look down." Danny looked down, wincing slightly. Sheldon raised Danny's eyelid with one thumb, and with the other gently slid Danny's contact lens back down. He let go. The air suddenly felt very cold on Danny's skin where Sheldon's warm hands had been resting. Danny blinked. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"S'ok. " Sheldon noticed the gym bag. "You've truly kicked yourself out then?"

"Yeah."

"You staying with a friend?" Danny shrugged.

"I dunno."

"What about Don?"

"He's got Jess."

"Oh. Stella?" Danny shook his head.

"Girl."

"Sexist." Danny laughed slightly.

"Thinking practically actually." Sheldon smiled that warm smile.

"Ok, Mac."

"Are you joking? He'd have my head." There was a pause. The leaves rustled in the cold air. Not all the snow had melted yet, there were still piles of disgusting grey slush hanging around which used to be snowmen.

"What about your parents?"

"They'd also chew me up into little pieces and spit me out again." Sheldon shook his head and leant back against the bench with Danny.

"There's always me." Danny looked at him quickly. Sheldon saw the movement and added hastily. "I mean, I get that we're not exactly soul mates, and we'd probably argue like hell, but I have a sofa bed and if the worst comes to the worst you can always crash there." Danny felt himself looking at Sheldon properly for the first time in seven years. He'd always been just Hawkes, just the doc. Danny had never considered that Sheldon might actually like him as a friend and not just a colleague. It was a good feeling.

"Really? You sure you could deal with me for an undetermined period of time?" Sheldon turned his head towards Danny. The wintry afternoon light struck his features beautifully, those incredible brown eyes gazing at him with sincerity and a smile creeping across those perfect lips.

"There's a first time for everything. I'll risk it." Danny grinned and gave Sheldon an affectionate punch on the arm.

"Thanks doc."

Walking into Sheldon's building Danny felt an incredible sense of relief sweeping over him. His building was dirtied white like an asylum, but Sheldon's lobby was glowing with a soft cream. Sheldon checked his mail slot, then continued towards the stairs.

"Hey momma!" The rotund lady sitting behind the desk gave him a disapproving look and an uncontrollable smile over the top of her glasses and _Glamour_.

"Call me momma one more time young Sheldon and I'll have your heart for dinner." Sheldon grinned and kissed her cheek.

"Anyone call for me?"

"You're not that popular honey." Sheldon grinned again that grin that's impossible not to grin with, and beckoned Danny to the steps. Danny followed, noticing that 'momma' was sneakily eyeing him up behind her magazine.

"She likes you. Lindsay would sure be jealous." Danny couldn't help but smile.

"Like hell she would." They reached the landing. Sheldon pointed to the next set of stairs. Danny stopped. "What's wrong with the elevator?" Sheldon turned at the foot of the next staircase.

"Nothing, I'm only on the second floor. Come on." Danny hitched his bag back over his shoulders and came to the stairs. "Lazy ass!" They laughed as they carried on up the stairs. Then they came to number 3, Danny remembering all the fairy stories that have 3 as a lucky number and wondered if he'd be so lucky here. Sheldon unlocked the door and they walked in.

Sheldon's walls were a light yellow. Danny found himself standing in a short hallway where there was plain mirror, coat hooks and a mat where Sheldon's other shoes were. Danny noticed with a small pang of guilt that Sheldon only had five pairs of shoes. Danny was like a girl in the shoe respect, he had about fifteen pairs, and insisted that they were all different, even though he knew they weren't. Under the mirror was a table with a notepad, a pen and little reminders, as well as a child's drawing of what, Danny could only assume, was supposed to be Sheldon. Sheldon placed his keys and his cell on this little wooden table and kicked off his shoes. He indicated that Danny could drop his bag by the shoes. The table was on the left walking through the door, on the right was another door.

"That's the cupboard." Sheldon hung up his jacket and Danny's too, then walked into the living room. Facing Danny was a window, on either side there were bookcases filled with all types of medical books and, Danny noticed, poetry books and books on photography, music and dance. To his left there were four long steps up which was the kitchen. At right angles to the window there was a white door slightly ajar, through which he could see the tiled floor of a bathroom. The carpet was strangely enough a kind of olive green, but weirdly, it worked. Sheldon noticed Danny's surprised expression at the carpet.

"I didn't decorate."

"Who did, your mum?"

"Insult my mum again and I'll kick you out. Actually it was the guy who lived here before me. I couldn't be bothered to change it. 'Sides, I kinda like it." Danny nodded with that approving expression.

"Me too."

"Good. I don't know what you would have done if you didn't." Danny smiled and looked to his right. A white sofa facing a small flat screen TV, a white armchair nearer the other wall, a white footstool beside the glass topped table on which was Sheldon's laptop, his case files, his bills, his phone, coasters, everything that Danny felt should be on a glass-topped table. To make the picture even better, the table had another level beneath the glass where Danny could see Sheldon's medical journals, newspapers and what looked like a photo album and a scrapbook. Along the wall opposite to the kitchen were shelves, holding photographs, knick-knacks, medals, certificates, and a few more childish drawings. In the corner was a hi-fi, complete with CD stand beside it. In the wooden shelves supporting the TV were all Sheldon's DVDs and videos, some of them evidently home videos.

"You want a drink?" Danny saw Sheldon standing in the kitchen holding a glass. He walked up the wooden steps and onto the wooden floor of the kitchen.

"What you got?" Sheldon went to the fridge which was on the right, close to another white door, this one closed. The cupboards spread across in front of Danny, the sink directly beneath another window where there was a healthy plant and boxes of what looked like bird feed. The rectangular table and four chairs stood neatly slightly off centre in front of Danny. To his right was a sort of bar, again with a wooden top, and two high bar chairs next to it. Behind the bar was the washing machine, and to the side of the bar was another lot of shelves with photos and plants. Opposite the bar as Danny found when he turned to survey the living room was a calendar.

"Beer, juice, water, coffee, tea…" Sheldon brought his head out of the fridge. "Nothing interesting, sorry." Danny shrugged and inspected the fridge with Sheldon.

"Pineapple juice?" Sheldon reached for the carton.

"You like pineapple juice?"

"Are you kidding me? I haven't had that stuff in ages!" Sheldon grinned and poured out two glasses.

_Sorry about the descriptions, normally I hate doing them but his time it was really fun, so sorry it went on for a while. : P xxx thank you all you loverly people who reviewed moi, muchos apreciatos!_


	4. BB And Whale Boy

**BB And Whale Boy**

Danny stretched himself in front of the TV.

"Sorry for lumping you with my bad taste and annoying habits." Sheldon shook his head.

"Danny, I keep telling you, I don't mind. I kinda like having you here." Danny grinned. He'd been staying with Sheldon for almost two weeks and had never enjoyed himself more. Of course work was a problem. He and Lindsay had tried to talk out their differences and see how they could move on, but Lindsay kept insisting on finding a marriage counsellor, and if there was one thing Danny hated more than anything else in the whole world it was counsellors, of the marriage variety or any other kind. Besides, Danny knew what the problem was. It was him, the fact that he felt next to no connection with his child, and he wasn't about to let Lindsay get her way with sending him to a therapist to talk about his own childhood, which would be inevitable.

And in a way, Danny was glad that he and Lindsay had fought, otherwise he would never have ended up at Hawkes', and the guy wasn't as boring as he'd always thought he'd been. Hell, Sheldon liked baseball, and basketball. Something they never could agree on though was soccer, Sheldon couldn't see the attraction and Danny couldn't see the unattraction. But tonight, Danny had got his own way, (again) and Sheldon was suffering soccer with a very pained expression on his face.

"Be honest, you hate having me here."

"No, I hate soccer." Danny' laughed then jumped in the air as his team finally won the game.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, take that you losers! Suckers, hahahahaha!! Woooooooo!" Sheldon watched Danny dancing around the room very confusedly.

"Danny, it's just a game." Danny dropped back onto the couch and grabbed Sheldon affectionately round the neck.

"How do you manage to not get worked up about anything?" Sheldon struggled to breathe.

"If you don't let go I'll never have the chance to get worked up about anything ever again." Danny released the stranglehold.

"You're too calm." he mused. "Everyone knows you for that, Dr Sheldon Hawkes goes hand in hand with the words calm and efficient. Too efficient." Sheldon searched for the remote.

"Where's the remote gone?" Danny made a pathetic attempt to look for it.

"I dunno, you had it." Sheldon frowned at him.

"No I didn't. These days you're always in control of what we watch, it's almost like this is your apartment," Sheldon put his hand down the back of the sofa. "and you're very kindly letting me stay here." Danny grinned.

"Really, you think of it like that? Seems more like we got an odd couple thing going on." Sheldon retrieved the remote from where Danny had left it, under Danny's ass, and turned the TV off.

"I'm getting a divorce." He said. Danny tried to laugh but the thought of divorce silenced him. There was a pause in which the two of them just listened to the sounds of traffic outside the window.

"Hey Sheldon."

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind being called Hawkes?" Sheldon shifted slightly and shrugged.

"Not really. I'd rather be called by my name, but I'm not gonna get in a sweat about it." Danny nodded.

"What do you get called for short though? I mean, Sheldon's not an easy name to shorten. Shelley?" Sheldon half laughed.

"Sometimes." Danny tucked his leg underneath his thigh and leaned his elbow on the back of the sofa.

"Shelley used to be a guy's name though. Way back, like a hundred years ago." Sheldon nodded. "What? Surprised I know that?"

"Kinda." Danny hit Sheldon across the shoulder. "Ow! You know you're really not as dumb as you think you are."

"Thanks, I'll keep that it mind." Danny shifted his position and carried on. "I mean, Kelly used to be a guy's name…."

"Yeah, and Holly and Lindsay…most names that end in 'y' really." Danny started tracing random patterns on the sofa. Lindsay…"But I only got called Shelley by really dumb kids at school."

"Like me you mean?"

"Not like you in the slightest." Sheldon replied warmly. Danny gave a little smile.

"What about Don, or Donny, or…"He paused. "There really aren't that many variations on the name Sheldon. Do you know where it comes from?"

"It's old English I think. It means town in the valley or steep valley, something like that. Charlie looked it up once."

"Who's Charlie?"

"My ex girlfriend." Sheldon laughed to himself. "The best girlfriend I ever had."

"How's that?" Sheldon shrugged.

"I dunno, we just clicked. Hell, we almost got married!" Danny sat up straight.

"Seriously??" he gazed at his friend incredulously. "How come?"

"Well," Sheldon picked up the empty beer cans. "we'd been together for three years and we really loved one another. I guess we kinda figured marriage was the next place to go. Our families were really happy about it, they took the whole thing off our hands they were so excited!" Danny walked with Sheldon to the kitchen, carrying the remains of their ridiculously healthy supper. Ridiculously healthy to Danny at any rate. Seriously, did Sheldon ever pig out?

"So what happened? How come you've got no ring on your finger?" Sheldon sat on the bar chair as Danny put the plates in the sink.

"Er…basically the wedding came around, and I was at the hotel in my room getting dressed. My dad came in and he said, 'ten minutes kid then you're on.' After he left a wave of panic came over me and I realised that I couldn't marry Charlie, I just couldn't, it didn't seem right." Danny frowned.

"Why propose then?" Sheldon walked over to the sink and started running water.

"I didn't, it just kinda…I dunno…happened." He squeezed washing up liquid into the bowl. "So then I took off my jacket and tie and climbed out the window, down the drain pipe and ran away." Danny whistled. Sheldon grinned. "You just wonder what people would have thought at the sight of me climbing down a drain pipe in a wedding suit." Danny shook his head, grinning.

"Nah," he replied. "this is New York!" Sheldon threw him a towel and Danny obediently dried up. "What about Charlie? How'd she feel about this?" Sheldon laughed again.

"The reason my dad told me ten minutes instead of telling me to come down straight away was because Charlie had jumped ship before she'd even reached the hotel."

"What?"

"She got cold feet before I did. Her mum said she just disappeared, just as they were getting ready to leave home." Danny whistled again. Sheldon continued. "Then when I was walking through Central Park, what did I see? A bride sitting on the top of a bench, twisting her veil in her hands." Danny shook his head again in disbelief and took the plate Sheldon gave him.

"Charlie huh?"

"Yep." A far away look came into Sheldon's eyes as he reminisced. "I went up to her and said, 'Looking for a groom?' she looked lovely, but she didn't look like my Charlie in that dress, her mum had picked it out. We took a back seat throughout the whole process."

"Even your own wedding." Danny quipped. Sheldon went to the fridge.

"Yep. PJ?" Danny grinned.

"Sure." Sheldon got out the pineapple juice and two glasses. Danny leaned on the worktop. "So then what? Did you guys split up?"

"A year later." Sheldon handed him a glass.

"A year?" Danny was surprised. "You guys stayed together?" Sheldon shrugged and led the way back to the couch.

"We still loved each other. Our parents weren't happy we ditched the wedding though."

"I bet. So why did you split up if you loved each other so much?" they sat down, Sheldon curling himself around a cushion as he often did, something Danny found, in a strange way, really adorable. Sheldon took a sip of juice.

"It was kinda like we loved each other too much to be in a relationship. We're more like siblings." Danny snorted.

"Incest." He remarked. Sheldon sighed.

"I knew you'd say that," he replied wearily. "Some of my girlfriends have found my relationship with Charlie difficult to deal with, I mean we still kiss, but we'd never dream of having sex again. We're just…in love in a safer way." Danny put his feet on the table.

"Safe…you're a strange guy, you know that right?" Sheldon smiled and hugged the cushion tighter. Danny rested his head against the back of the couch. He turned to look at Sheldon. "Did she have a nickname for you?"

"Kaka." Danny frowned.

"Kaka? Where does that come from?" Sheldon put his glass on the table.

"It means pretty boy in some dialect of Afrikaans."

"Was she African?"

"No, Japanese. American Japanese. She works as a translator, that's another reason why we broke up, she was always away."

"Cool. What do your parents call you?"

"As a nickname?" Danny nodded. "Er…BB I guess." Danny snorted again.

"BB? What does that stand for?" Sheldon drained his glass.

"I think it was originally BBB, for beautiful brown-eyed boy, then it became Beb, then it somehow came to BB. All my family call me that, among other things."

"Oh yeah, like what?" Sheldon smiled ruefully.

"Promise you won't call me by them?"

"Do I have to?" Danny nonchalantly took a sip of juice. Sheldon sighed.

"There was Baby, that lasted until I was twenty six." Danny choked. "Then there was Sweetcheeks," Now Danny couldn't stop laughing.

"You're making this up!!!" Sheldon couldn't help but laugh too.

"No! I swear! I was the most unfortunate kid in nicknames."

"What about at school?" Danny asked once he'd calmed down. Sheldon threw his head back.

"Ah…there was Corny, I used to have my hair in corn rows, " he explained.

"You must've looked real cute." Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Was anyone at your school ever…you know…racist to you?" Sheldon frowned, remembering.

"Couple a kids called me Blackie, some called me nigger, but they're just words, they didn't hurt. Not that nothing was done about that. The teachers got involved, but it only lasted one term in my first year at high school, it wasn't a big problem where I went." There was a relaxed pause in which Danny found himself drifting off to sleep. He shook himself awake.

"Mmmm…hey BB-"

"Don't. Call me BB." Sheldon pointed a warning finger at him. "Ever. That's reserved for my family only." Danny sighed.

"Do you have any interesting nickname that I can call you?" Sheldon rested his head on the arm of the sofa.

"You could call me Ki if you really wanted."

"Ki?"

"Short for Akiki."

"What does that mean? Is it African?" his friend nodded.

"It's Ugandan for friend." Danny smiled.

"It suits you." Sheldon smiled in return, almost a little embarrassed at the compliment.

"Thank you."

"How come it's not your first name? or is it?" Sheldon shook his head.

"Nah, my dad, he's Ugandan, he wanted us all to have Ugandan first names, then discovered that my mum couldn't pronounce them. He said;" here Sheldon put on a very accurate African accent. "I will not listen to my children's beautiful names being slaughtered like chickens with the terrible axe of the American accent." Danny rolled on the couch laughing.

"Does he really sound like that?!" Sheldon nodded, laughing too at the memory.

"What about your mum, is she Ugandan?"

"No, she's New Yorken, she's from Brooklyn." Danny made that face when he's considering something.

"Not as good as Staten Island." Sheldon hit him.

"You wish. She's about as New York as they come." Danny pulled a mock surprised expression.

"What? Even more New York than me?"

"Almost." Danny shook his head.

"Not possible." He finished the last of the juice in his glass and put it back on the table with a satisfied sigh. "You got any siblings?" Sheldon picked up the glasses and motioned Danny to follow him. They walked back to the kitchen where Sheldon put the glasses in the sink, then went over to the shelves by the bar and picked up a photo album.

"Here," he said. He opened it at random and Danny saw a picture of an attractive woman cradling two babies who looked exactly the same.

"That you?"

"One of them is."

"Which one?" Sheldon shrugged. "You don't know which one is you?"

"We look the same." Danny laughed.

"I can see that!" Sheldon flicked through the pages and Danny caught glimpses of smiling faces, wedding pictures, hospital pictures, medals, family outings, and felt a pang of guilt for his own wife and child, and a pang of self pity for himself, when he remembered how he'd so often been left out in his own family. Sheldon finally stopped at a group photo.

"This was my mum's fortieth." In a way it was a plain photo, the background was black, the seats were black. Sitting on the left of the photograph was the same woman who'd been holding the twins, a little older, her skin was quite a pale brown compared to Sheldon's but her afro was to rival all of the Jackson Five's. She was round, with a wide smile, easy to see where Sheldon got his grin from. Sitting next to her was a very dark man, with a long jaw and a quiet, confident smile. His head was shaved close to the skin, and he had his arm around his wife affectionately. He was only slightly taller than her and his red sweater clashed brilliantly with her violent orange summer dress. Standing behind her with his arms around his mother's shoulders was a young man with a matching afro and a jokey expression on his wide features, he'd inherited his father's long jaw. "That's Henry, he's the eldest. He runs and works at the Double Or Nothing restaurant near 5th Avenue."

"Seriously? The really expensive one?" Sheldon nodded proudly.

"Yeah. He writes poetry too." Danny suddenly paused as something clicked.

"Henry Hawkes?" Sheldon looked up from the photograph. "You're joking. I've got every book of his." Now it was Sheldon's turn to be surprised.

"Really? I had no idea you were a poetry kinda guy." Danny shrugged, embarrassed. "Henry will be pleased. He's always convinced no one buys his stuff."

"How can that be? He's won tons of prizes."

"I know." Danny watched Sheldon's face, and suddenly wished that he could make Sheldon's face light up like that when he talked about Danny to someone else. There was a glow around Sheldon when he spoke of his family, a fierce pride. Sheldon pointed to the girl with her cheek pressed against her father's. "That's Cecy. Short for Cecilia." Her hair was tied back but the ponytail ends framed her head like a frizzy halo. Her face shape was rounder, but thinner and her grin rivalled Sheldon's. Then, sitting beside his father, one arm around him, one hand clutching his twin's, was a boy in a white t-shirt. His hair was intricately worked into corn rows and he was grinning widely at the camera with a cheeky twinkle in his black eyes. He was quite skinny as was his twin, seated beside the mother, wearing a red t-shirt, with the same hair style but with a quiet smile, reminiscent of his father's. Sheldon turned to Danny. "Which one's me?" Danny studied the photo, then pointed to the boy in the red t-shirt. Sheldon raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Most people think Michael's me." Danny wrinkled his forehead.

"But he's obviously not. I mean, if anyone knows you they know you're very calm, even if you have got a ridiculously wide mouth-"

"Oh thanks."

"-so I figured you'd be the quiet one." Sheldon started flicking through the photo album, searching for another photo.

"There's an easier way." He found the photo he was looking for and returned to the other. "Look at Michael's eyes." Danny looked. They were black, a deep, intense precious stone kind of black. "Now look at mine." Danny looked at the thirteen year old Sheldon's eyes, even then they were the most beautiful piercing pure brown he'd ever seen.

"Oh yeah" he said, straightening up. "That is easier." Sheldon flicked to the other picture. It was exactly the same set up, only Cecy had switched places with Henry, and Sheldon and Michael had switched too. Oh, and they were all twenty years older. And this time it was very easy to tell Sheldon and Michael apart; Michael had tattoos all over his arms and had an ear piercing, a nose piercing, an eyebrow piercing and a lip piercing. This time it was Sheldon who was smiling widely, and Michael who had an unsure smile. "Michael changed a lot."

"Yeah, well the reason he's not smiling so much is more because he…I dunno…because he doesn't trust people so much anymore…he's not so open anymore. Still as confident though, that will never diminish." Danny's eyes moved to Sheldon, that familiar face, the light, the eyes, he looked at the real Sheldon, eyes just as beautiful, with that same light dancing in them. Sheldon met Danny's gaze and Danny looked away quickly, embarrassed.

They passed the rest of the evening going through the photographs in Sheldon's album. When it came to Sheldon's sister and her husband and two children Danny felt the guilty feeling wash over him again. Sheldon seemed to have the best family ever and Danny felt insanely jealous. Eventually they exhausted that album and started looking at the one under the table which turned out to be a present Sheldon was making for his mum's birthday. Then it was all the pictures Sicily (Cecy's daughter) had drawn for Sheldon.

"Anyone would think she was your daughter the way you go on about her." Danny remarked, finally bored of Sheldon's family. Sheldon put down the pictures.

"We're a tight family."

"I can see that." There was a pause. "What's the time?" Sheldon picked up Danny's wrist to look at his watch.

"Twelve twenty. Bedtime for baby Messer." Danny punched him. Sheldon avoided it as best he could then got up and tidied up. He started to walk away then turned at the steps. "What about you? What nicknames do you have?" Danny shrugged.

"Louie always called me Junior, dad too. Mum just called me the usual, you know, honey, sweetie, all that crap."

"What about at school?"

"It was just Danny, or Messer." Sheldon waited.

"Come on, there was something else."

"Ok, fine…Whale Boy."

"What????"

"Ahhh," Danny rolled over and started pulling out the sofa bed. "My middle name's Jonah, you know, like the guy in the Bible who got stuck in the whale? Some weird kid called me Whale Boy way back, and it stuck with the bullies." Sheldon laughed, and turned off the kitchen light.

"Good night Whale Boy."

"Goodnight BB." They both scowled at one another, then smiled and finally returned to their respective bedrooms.

_Sorry this was so long. By the by this probably won't fit in with whatever the end of season five is so just bear with me. Thanks peeps and review me!!!!xxxxxx_


	5. Dancing Prince

_Sorry I've taken so long. I have an apology to make to KJL about the dialogue, I'm trying not to do that this time, although it's not really working out! Yes it will be is the answer to your question thanks for reviewing me. Xxxx_

**Dancing Prince**

Danny leaned back in his swivel chair, sighing in despair.

"I hate chasing up loose ends." He muttered. Adam scratched his head with his pencil.

"Me too." Danny ran his hands through his hair. He looked round in case Mac was walking past.

"Anything fun we can do?" he looked expectedly at Adam.

"Er…"

"Come on Adam, you've always got some crazy thing to do to waste time."

"Yeah and Mac keeps catching me at them." The two men shared a glance. "Fine. We could…look up people's names on Google?" Danny groaned.

"Anything better than that?" Adam dropped his pencil.

"I don't see you coming up with any suggestions." Danny leaned forwards.

"Well if I do I can't blame you." Adam gave a fake chuckle. Danny gave him an affectionate slap on the back.

"We could look up people's names on Youtube. See if anyone's done anything they shouldn't have." Danny raised his eyebrows at Adam's overexcited demeanour.

"You really think you're going to find a sex video of Mac on Youtube?" he asked. Adam shuddered.

"Ew…Danny don't." Danny laughed at the grossed out expression on Adam's face.

"Hey, no one said you had to imagine it!" he quipped. He took control of the keyboard and started typing. "If that's all you can think of…" he shot Adam a wicked grin. "Any incriminating evidence of you on Youtube?"

"No!" Adam exclaimed a little too quickly. Seeing Danny's expression of disbelief Adam owned up. "There was this one time me and my girlfriend filmed us having sex and she posted it on Youtube, but she removed like, straight away!" Danny couldn't stop laughing.

"Why?" he queried. "because she saw what you actually looked like?"

"Funny." Adam sighed. "Probably, she took it off when we broke up." Danny laughed and slapped Adam on the back.

"Come on then, "he said.

It was a waste of time. Mac? Nope. Stella? Zilch. Don? Nada. Sid? A home video of him and his wife cooking. Danny threw back his head in frustration.

"Adam, there's gotta be something better than this!"

"Wait wait…" Adam hurriedly typed in Sheldon's name. Bingo. Adam clicked on the first one. It was of a young boy with corn rows in his hair, immediately recognisable to Danny as a fifteen year old Sheldon Hawkes. The music started and Sheldon danced. "Woah…." Adam and Danny leaned forwards. "Is he dancing en pointe?" Danny concentrated on Sheldon's quick feet, yep, he was wearing black pointe shoes. He was so light on the tips Danny almost believed Sheldon was flying. "Wow, he's incredible." Adam's mouth was almost on the floor, but Danny was transfixed. He'd never liked ballet. In an attempt to educate him his father had reluctantly agreed to take the boys to the ballet of Don Quixote. It was an amateur production but Danny had hated ballet ever since. But now, watching the young Sheldon smile with delight as he leapt across the room, Danny thought he'd never seen anything quite so beautiful before in his entire life.

That was it. There was no chance Adam and Danny would be working again that afternoon. They spent the rest of their time watching every single video they could find of Sheldon dancing, some of when he was very young, some posted only a year ago. They oo-ed and ah-ed at his jumps, spins and positions. When he danced a sad dance it was heart wrenching, when he danced a happy dance, the boys couldn't help but smile. Eventually they exhausted Youtube's, far too limited in their view, stock of Sheldon videos and started arguing about which ones to re-watch. Danny's personal favourite was a happy dance where Sheldon was never off pointe. He jumped, ran, hopped all en pointe, in a tight black vest and rolled up black joggers, his smile never disappearing. Adam on the other hand preferred a very abstract dance, done much more recently, where Sheldon danced slowly to a piece of African poetry. It showed just how good a dancer he truly was, and Danny couldn't help but wonder why Sheldon had never mentioned it. In the end they got caught. Mac wandered past and gave them a light telling off, although they could see that he was dying to watch some of those videos too. Danny was hoping to question Sheldon about the dancing when he got back, but he fell asleep before Sheldon returned.

Danny woke to the now familiar smell of a good breakfast. Sheldon insisted on eating properly before leaving, unless it was an emergency. Danny wasn't complaining, after almost a month of fry-ups, omelettes, soup and homemade sandwiches Danny was feeling rather tubby around the waist, but well taken care of.

He squinted and searched for his glasses. He rolled over and stretched then sat up and looked towards the kitchen. Sheldon was wearing a long sleeved light blue top and white shorts while stirring something on the hob. Danny watched as Sheldon reached to one of the cupboards for something, one foot lifted on the ground, the other standing right on tiptoe.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked. Sheldon looked round.

"Fried eggs over fried vegetables." Danny kicked himself off the sofa bed (literally) and dragged some clothes out of his bag. He lumped his way into the bathroom and managed to come out fully dressed, shaved, clean and with his contact lenses in. He made his way up the steps to sit on one of the bar stools. He watched Sheldon expertly tip the eggs sunny side up over the potatoes, carrots and asparagus and slide it all onto a piece of fried toast and onto a plate. He set this plate down in front of Danny.

"Thank you." Danny picked up his fork, then thought better of it and picked up his knife as well to please Sheldon. He tucked in. Sheldon sat opposite him with his own plate.

"No wonder I'm getting so fat." He remarked. Danny looked up, surprised.

"You're not fat." He said through a mouthful of egg. Sheldon shrugged.

"Well, tubby."

"Me too the way you've been feeding me." Danny got himself a glass of water. "I need to go down to the gym." He sat down again. There was a pause. "Do you still dance?" Now it was Sheldon's turn to be surprised.

"How did you know I danced?"

"Adam and I were messing around on Youtube, found some old videos of you." Danny watched Sheldon play with his food. "You don't dance any more then?" Sheldon sat back.

"No, work got in the way, I didn't have the time." He smiled ruefully. "I guess that's why I've put on weight."

"Why don't you start again?" Sheldon shrugged. "You should. You're an amazing dancer, and I normally hate ballet!" Sheldon laughed at Danny's earnestness.

"I was going to say, I don't see you as the kind of guy who'd voluntarily watch Swan Lake or something."

"You're incredible." Danny waved some asparagus at Sheldon. "Seriously."

"Thanks, stop waving your food in my face."

"Sorry." There was silence while they munched companionably. "You should start again though."

"Maybe I will then. " Sheldon smiled. "If you're so desperate."

"I just think you're wasting your talent that's all!" Danny exclaimed. Sheldon grinned.

"All right, all right. I'll think about it." Danny pointed his last piece of egg at Sheldon threateningly.

"Good, and if you don't finish your breakfast I will."


	6. A Gut Feeling

_I'm sooooooo sorry I haven't updated in years. By the by, I know I called the baby Susanne to begin with but now I know the actual name I'll be using that (Lucy) love you!!_

_p.s sorry it's short, it's to let you know I haven't abandoned this._

**A Gut Feeling**

"Hello? Sheldon?" Danny dropped his rucksack on the floor as he hung up his jacket. "Hey, Dance-Pants? You home?" he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to get a glass of juice. Evidently Dance-Pants was not home. Danny sat back on the sofa and switched on the TV. Die Hard. Danny looked at his glass of juice and decided a beer would be better in this situation. He'd had a helluva day. He and Lindsay had finally agreed on divorce. She'd sreamed, she'd cried, she'd tried to make him feel guilty, (job well done) but there was nothing that could change Danny's mind. He knew this was going to be shit. But there was no other option for him, these days the real reason for marrying Lindsay kept coming back to haunt him, reminding him he'd made the biggest mistake of his life. Danny shook his head, desperate to forget and took a very long swig of beer.

The night dragged on, and on and on and on….Danny could Sheldon's clock ticking and amidst the sixteen cans of beer and the four pizza boxes Danny could feel something wasn't right. He dragged his wrist to his face to look at his watch. 1:40am. Sheldon…where was he? Danny heaved himself off the sofa and tried to tidy up, not an easy task when you're drunk. Eventually he managed to dump all the cans into the bin and stumble into the hallway to force the pizza boxes down the garbage chute. Once back in the flat, he stuck his head under the cold shower.

Finally sober again Danny took Sheldon's absence as a chance to tidy up. Not well. 2:30 am. Sheldon wasn't supposed to be working so late tonight. As Danny's head cleared he started to feel more and more concerned about where Sheldon was. Suddenly the flat seemed very empty. Danny stood by the sofa, unsure what to do, then the phone rang. Danny darted towards it, sure it would be Sheldon, but before he could pick up the receiver the ring stopped. He tried to call back the number, but got nothing, not even a long tone, nothing. Danny slowly replaced the phone, feeling very worried. He wasn't even sure why, Sheldon had never called him in the past to say he was working late, why would he now? Sheldon had probably got hauled onto somebody else's shift….so why did Danny feel so uneasy?

"This is the sixth sense" he muttered, before realising he was talking to himself. He sat on the sofa and ran his hands through his hair, unable to stop the jittery feeling in his stomach.


	7. Help

_Hellloooo! By the by, I know I keep saying things like this, but I do get frustrated when my stories don't really fit in with the actual tv series, so consider this story in the future, i.e after all the Sheldon trauma and Danny trauma etc etc (don't want to actually say it in case spoil it for other people, you know what I mean.) lots of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx _

_p.s don't know anything about hospitals._

**Help**

Danny woke with a start as he heard someone try the lock on the door. He stayed still, listening intently, there was the scratching noise again, as if someone was trying to pick the lock. Danny crept towards the hall, and reached for his gun that was lying on the table. He held it behind him as he moved slowly towards the door. There was a thump from the other side and Danny froze. Nothing happened. He put his hand cautiously on the doorknob and turned it. As he opened the door, he could feel a weight against it, and as he carefully pulled the handle towards him Sheldon's body fell onto the hall floor at his feet.

Time stopped.

For a second Danny couldn't breathe, he just stood there and stared at Sheldon's blood covered face, his lip and eye swollen, cuts and bruises going every which way across that gentle face. And as Danny stood there, he gradually realised that Sheldon's chest was rising, up and down, up and down. Danny dropped his gun and fell to his knees, raising Sheldon's head from the carpet.

"Sheldon…Sheldon…come on buddy wake up, wake up…Sheldon…" Danny patted his friend's cheek desperately, pulling Sheldon closer into his arms. "come on Sheldon, don't do this to me buddy, come on…come on…wake up…please…" Sheldon's eyelids fluttered and the eye that wasn't swollen shut started to focus and look up at Danny's panicked face.

"….Danny….ah…"Sheldon groaned slightly as he shifted.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" Danny could feel his anger rising. "Come on Sheldon tell me, I'll find them, I'll get them…" he could feel hot tears welling up but he refused to let them fall at the sight of his broken friend. "Sheldon…"

"….help….me….hurts….so bad……Danny…."Sheldon's eyelid flickered shut and his head tipped backwards over Danny's arm.

"No! No! Sheldon, wake up! Wake up!" Danny franticly shook Sheldon to no avail. He looked up as though asking Sheldon's home for help. It gave him the answer.

It was a slow night at the hospital. In a good way. Fortunately not lot of A&E's had happened, there were quite a few interns and doctors hanging around outside the entrance to A&E, drinking coffee, smoking. One intern turned to view the sky, a remarkably clear night and as he looked across New York City, he saw a black car pull into the hospital car park hurriedly. A man jumped out and ran across to the other door, which he opened and pulled out what seemed like a rag doll, until the intern realised it was a person.

"Dr Roberts!" the doctor turned and immediately several people ran across the car park to help the man struggling to carry his half dead friend.

A hospital bed was brought out and Danny lay Sheldon down on it. He ran with the doctors as they wheeled Sheldon into A&E, asking him questions, asking Sheldon questions, to which Sheldon made no reply, but he was still vaguely conscious. In the bright white light of the hospital corridors Sheldon looked even worse than before, every cut, every angle of his body, every bloodstain on his clothes was suddenly very real to Danny, where before he had been in almost a kind of limbo, not really believing what was happening, now Danny could feel the full horror of the attack on his friend. The doctors started to wheel Sheldon further away from Danny.

"No! I have to be with him, I have to make sure he's ok…" Danny fought the nurses holding him.

"Please, Mr Messer, we'll take good care of him." Sheldon was getting further and further away from Danny, but he turned.

"How do you know my name?" the intern looked sympathetically at him.

"You told us Mr Messer. And your friend's name. You made sure we knew." The intern slowly let him go as Danny saw Sheldon's head disappear behind another set of hospital doors.

The wait was unbearable. Not knowing what had happened to Sheldon, not knowing if he should call someone, Sheldon's family, Mac, Don….so many thoughts were running through Danny's head. That phone call that was suddenly cut off…

"Mr Messer?" Danny's head jerked up and he rose as the doctor stood before him.

"Ye-…hm…yeah, that's me." It took Danny a while to find his voice, he felt he couldn't even remember what speaking was like. "Is he ok?"

"He is recovering," the doctor spoke in that slow determinate way that was ever so uncomfortable. "But I suggest that the police become involved. I have spoken to Mr Hawkes--"

"he's awake?"

"Yes, and his family have been informed--"

"I have to talk to him. Please. He's my friend." The doctor hesitated. Danny gazed at him pleadingly. "He's my friend." He repeated. There was nothing else he could say. The doctor slowly nodded.

Danny was led down the corridor to a small room, it was a short corridor but it felt like an age, Danny couldn't remember being this afraid for Sheldon before, except for when he saved Sheldon's life underwater, but down there they were together throughout the whole ordeal, here, whatever had happened, it had only happened to Sheldon. He entered the room, and the nurse left to give them some privacy. Sheldon looked lost in all those white covers, the tubes that were linked up to his nose and arms, the breathing machine…Danny leant on the rails of the bed, gazing down at the dark face, battered and bruised. Sheldon had cuts all over his arms, knife cuts. Danny found himself analysing Sheldon's wounds, asking himself what kind of knife, wondering if there was any trace in Sheldon's grazes, defence wounds…of those there were many. Sheldon's eyes were closed, Danny could see bandages under Sheldon's hospital gown. He leaned forwards and whispered.

"Hey, Sheldon, it's me, Danny. I'm here." There was no reply. Danny sat in the chair beside the bed and held Sheldon's swollen hand. "Sheldon, I promise you, whatever happened, I'm gonna make sure whoever did this to you doesn't get away with it, I promise, Sheldon…" Silence, except for the breathing machine. "Sheldon…" Danny squeezed Sheldon's hand gently. There was a moment's pause. Danny stroked Sheldon's swollen fingers, fighting back tears.

"Danny…" Danny looked up immediately. Sheldon's eyes were open, gazing at him. Under the breathing mask Danny could see Sheldon was smiling a little.

"Are you ok?"

"….yes…."

"What happened?" Danny leaned in closer. "Who hurt you?" Sheldon's eyes closed and opened.

"I don't know," he replied softly, "but….you should call Mac…" his voice faded away.

"Why?" Danny whispered urgently "Why? Sheldon tell me--"

"He….Danny, he…" Sheldon turned his head to see Danny better and looked him straight in the eye. "I….I was raped."


	8. It Didn't Seem Important At The Time

**It Didn't Seem Important At The Time**

Danny spent the rest of the day in a daze. He pushed everyone in the lab to breaking point, and if they didn't process the evidence or interview the suspects quickly or viciously enough he would do it again. Mac repeatedly asked him to lay off and let him take care of it but Danny wasn't tuned in to anything other than catching Sheldon's attacker. But Mac was reaching breaking point and when Danny had literally busted another suspect Mac hauled him into his office.

"What the hell d'you think you're playing at?????"

"Mac I just-"

"You just nothing Danny, you're flinging yourself at every suspect who looks at you the wrong way, we can handle this! But we can't handle this well if you're going to throw yourself under the bus at every given opportunity!!" Danny bit his lip furiously, too angry to say anything. Mac relented a little. "Danny I know you're desperate to solve this for Sheldon's sake, but if you carry on the way you are it'll more likely be you rotting in the clink than Sheldon's attacker." Mac waited as Danny paced the office. Finally Danny spun round to Mac.

"You can take me off the case," he said forcefully, "but you can't stop me looking on my own."

"Danny, do you want to jeopardise any work this lab does, either for Sheldon or in the future? Huh?" Mac stared him out. Danny dropped his head to his chest.

"No." he whispered. There was silence while Mac calmed himself.

"You're off the case Danny." Danny let out a small laugh. Mac raised his eyebrows and carried on. "You should go home and start thinking about your other responsibilities." Danny looked up sharply, but Mac's eyes pointed him out of the door.

Danny guessed what Mac meant was Lucy. Screw Lucy, and Lindsay, right now the most important thing was Sheldon. Danny found himself trudging the way to Sheldon's apartment, but when he reached the corner he stopped and turned the other way to catch the subway. He went to the hospital and asked at the desk if he could see Sheldon. The nurse smiled kindly.

"I'm sorry sir," she said, "but he's sleeping right now." Danny was about to turn away when he felt something clunk against the desk. He pulled out his police badge.

"Please?" he said.

Sheldon's hospital room was warm and gently noisy. The heater hummed through the wall and the clock was ticking on the beside table. Danny had always found hospitals uncomfortably white. He gazed down at the bed from his position by the door. White, white, and then this calm pool of chocolate brown lying on the pillow. Danny slowly moved towards the bed. Sheldon was asleep, his eyes closed, his breathing deep, his thick lips parted slightly. One eye was swollen, the rest of his face covered in cuts and bruises, dark bruises and deep cuts. His arms which lay on top of the sheets were much the same. There were sores at his wrists, where it looked as though he had been tied up. And all along the length of his slender arms was bruise upon cut upon bruise and they were shaking ever so slightly that Danny didn't notice it to begin with. Danny sat as quietly as possible next to Sheldon, and took his hand carefully in his own. The hospital band slid down Sheldon's wrist and Danny winced, but Sheldon didn't move. Danny ran his fingers over Sheldon's red knuckles and then down the pale palm, over the life lines and the love lines. Danny crossed one leg under the other and lay Sheldon's hand on his thigh, stroking the palm in circles, his eyes never leaving Sheldon's sleeping face. He didn't look peaceful, Sheldon had once fallen asleep on the sofa before Danny got back, Danny remembered then that Sheldon had been smiling, he had been at ease, his head at a crooked angle against the cushion. But here, his head was to the side and his mouth was a little down-turned, although the rest of his expression was clear. Danny closed his eyes and sighed. Sheldon shifted, groaning.

"Ah shit!" Danny hissed under his breath. He was about to leave when he felt a grip on his wrist. When he turned around Sheldon's eyes were as open as their injuries would let them and his mouth was parted in a question:

"Danny? What are you doing here?" Danny sat down.

"I just…I wanted to see how you were holding up." Danny hung his head for a second then looked up again. "I guess…I wanted to interrogate you again." Sheldon blinked and he drew in breath sharply.

"I've told Don everything," he said tensely. Danny patted his hand.

"I know, I know, I just wondered-" Sheldon let go of Danny's wrist.

"Danny I have nothing else to say." He looked away. Danny could see Sheldon's chest rising and falling quickly.

"I'm sorry-"

"Please go, for the moment." Sheldon turned his head. "Please Danny, I…I need space." Danny pursed his lips and rubbed his chin.

"Ok," he said. "I'm going." Sheldon let a deep breath and he looked relieved.

"Thank you." He whispered, a glimmer of a smile walking across his mouth. Danny left the room without looking back, and left the hospital as quickly as possible, thoughts racing through his head.

"I thought Mac removed you from the case?" Don looked at his friend suspiciously. Danny shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don give over, I just wanna know what he said, what happened, I didn't hear the whole of it." Don still looked suspicious. Danny sighed. "Please?" Don still looked suspicious but he got out his notebook all the same.

"Ok," he flipped through pages, " ok, I talked to him after you did-"

"Yeah but all he said to me was that he'd been-you know-" Danny ran his hand through his hair irritably.

"Woah" Don held up his hands. "Calm Messer." Danny perched on the edge of Don's desk as Don continued to flick. "All right…" Don found the page and he stopped, biting his lip. Danny watched him intently, knowing Don was remembering the conversation.

_"Hey Sheldon." _

_"Hey Don." The battered face looked up at him. Don sat in the chair beside Sheldon's bed._

_"Do you feel ready to talk about this?" he asked. Sheldon sighed._

_"I have to do this now." He whispered. _

_"Let's go from the beginning, anytime you wanna stop, just say." Don leaned forwards. "What were you doing before the attack happened?" Sheldon swallowed._

_"I was walking home, through Central Park, I felt like someone was following me." Sheldon refused to make eye contact with Don. He fiddled with the sheets. "I think someone came up behind me," Sheldon seemed to get irritable, "everything went black I don't remember…"_

_"You called home. We traced that call to your cell number, but we haven't found your cell. Do you remember that?" Sheldon shook his head, still not making eye contact. Don leant back. "You told Danny you were raped. "_

_"It's what the hospital told me."_

_"You don't remember it?"_

_"No." There was silence for a while._

_"We can stop…" Sheldon didn't answer. "Danny said the phone call came around 2:30 am. He said you got back at almost 4am."_

_"I left work late…I guess…it was almost 1:15am, Adam's night replacement had come in…I walked home…"_

_"How long does it normally take you?"_

_"45 minutes." Sheldon caught Don's look. "I don't know what the time was when I got attacked."_

_"Did you call straight away or-"_

_"I don't remember." _

_Pause. Don leant forwards again._

_"Sheldon…why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything?"_

_"I walked home, I was attacked, I blacked out, I woke up, I got home. No I don't remember anything about my attacker, no I don't remember exactly where we were, no I don't remember being raped. I don't remember-!" Sheldon's breathing was painful. "I'm sorry Don, I don't…I can't…" Don held his hand._

_"It's ok, the evidence will tell us the rest." Sheldon eyes were fearful._

Danny flicked through the notebook.

"I'm telling you Messer, that's all he said. He was being kinda weird about it."

"Of course he was you expect him to be overjoyed that some bastard raped him???" Danny relented. "Sorry…"

"You guys have gotten close recently," Don said, frowning. Danny glanced up.

"I've been living with him, how could I not?" Don sighed. Danny swung his legs off the desk. "Go through this with me, what do we know?"

"We know he left work at roughly 1.15, lab techs confirmed it. He called you at 2.30 and he arrived home in pieces around 4, right?"

"Yeah" Danny nodded. He rested his elbows on his knees. "Right now all we've got from the evidence is a lot of bloody clothes, skin from Sheldon's teeth which has no match, unidentified semen from the rape kit, definite evidence that it was rape and not consensual sex although how likely is it that it would have been consensual?" Danny laughed slightly in a humourless way but Don raised his eyebrows.

"Danny you know Sheldon's bisexual right?"

"What? No way, we were talking about girlfriends, he never said-" Danny stopped short.

"Messer?" Don gave him a push. "hey-" Danny shook himself.

"I'm fine…just…fine." Danny looked into the distance. "I just…remembered something. Only it didn't seem…important, at the time."

_"Hey Dance-Pants I'm home!" Danny dropped his bag on the floor and his keys on the table. He hung up his coat and kicked off his shoes as Sheldon's cell rang. "Hey Sheldon!" Danny called, "Someone's calling you, Rob, apparently." Sheldon came down the steps and took his cell off Danny. _

_"Oh it's no one, just some guy from ballet class who won't leave me alone." He smiled, his eyes were a little red._

_"You ok?" Danny asked, indicating Sheldon's eyes. _

_"Yeah I'm fine," Sheldon laughed ."I've been chopping onions and rubbing my eyes."_

_"Ah," Danny flopped down on the sofa. "that'd be why I leave all the cooking to you." He took another look at his friend. "They seem pretty red though." Sheldon sniffed and rubbed his nose._

_"Yeah, onions really get me!" Danny smiled and as Sheldon turned back to the kitchen he caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a heavy bruise on Sheldon's arm._

_"Sheldon, you're bruised?" Danny leaned over the arm of the sofa. Sheldon looked down at his arm._

_"I had that yesterday," he said._

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah I kinda…pirouetted into the barre."_

_"Ow!" Danny winced. Sheldon laughed._

_"Yeah," he agreed, "it really hurt." He returned to the dinner and Danny turned on the TV._

**Oh yes my dearies I'm back! And I've finally got myself back on track so hopefully this'll get much better. Love you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	9. Robert Hookey

**Robert Hookey**

Rob. That was all Danny had to go on. And a bruise on Sheldon's arm, amidst a multitude of other, much newer bruises. And a clammed up Sheldon. He could always try, but Sheldon could be extraordinarily stubborn sometimes, and if this Rob really was Sheldon's boyfriend…well, Sheldon evidently had no intention of giving his lover over to the police. But…Danny stirred his coffee in the small café where he was musing everything over. But…Sheldon had told Danny that he had been raped, and yet gone back on it when he spoke to Don, that suggested at least a glimmer of wanting to be helped. Danny ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. He had had no idea Sheldon had a boyfriend, let alone a boyfriend who abused him, and Danny was furious with himself for not seeing the signs. But had there been any? Danny took a deep drink of scalding hot coffee and didn't even feel the burn. There were so many question, so many but whats. After a time nursing his burnt tongue Danny rose from his stool and left, knowing what he had to do, and worrying about those three hours when he had no idea what had happened to Sheldon.

* * *

Wandering into the Bronx at this time of night was really not a good idea, but Danny was in a hurry. He peered into the face of every black man who walked past, hoping to see that face that was familiar and yet totally unfamiliar at the same time. It got later and later, and Danny was beginning to doubt he'd ever find the man he was looking for. Just as he was about to give up he heard laughing down a dark back alley, and in a last ditch attempt, he foolhardly walked towards the flickering light. As soon as he reached the gang of men standing round a dustbin of fire he felt a gun stabbed in his back. He immediately raised his hands.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing down here white boy?" a voice growled in his ear. Danny saw the men round the fire turn, most of them had their hoods up, but one hoodie was recognisable.

"I'm looking for Michael, Michael Hawkes," there was a pause, and the gun prodded Danny's back harder. Danny tried again, "I'm his brother's friend, it's about what happened…" one guy started to move away from the fire and jerked his head. Danny felt the gun lose contact with his back and a man who was considerably smaller than Danny appeared from behind him, still showing the gun. The other man came very close to him, staring him straight in the eye.

"I'm Michael." He said.

The two of them went round the corner and huddled into a boarded up doorway. Michael lit a cigarette as Danny watched enviously. Michael blew a smoke ring then spoke, Danny marvelling all the time how much Michael looked and didn't look like Sheldon.

"White boy like you shouldn't be coming around here," his tongue piercing glinted in the street lights as he spoke. "Especially if they were to find out you's a cop." As he said this Michael looked around furtively. His voice was gravellier than Sheldon's, lower, more smokey, and the accent a little ghetto, but still, the same voice. Michael blew another smoke ring, and continued. "This about the bastard who raped my brother?"

"Yeah," Danny hesitated, "Listen, Michael, does Sheldon have a boyfriend?" there was a silence during which Danny could see Michael's brain whirring.

"You think Rob did this?"

"Do you think he could have done?" Danny answered quickly. Michael stared Danny out.

"Without a doubt."

A police siren went off in the distance.

"What makes you so sure Sheldon's boyfriend did this?"

"One," Michael slid down the wall to sit on the doorstep, "he's not a boyfriend he's an old man friend, two," he took a drag on his ciggie, "Sheldon was afraid of him and three...I don't like him."

"How was Sheldon afraid of him?" Danny crouched beside Michael.

"He never talked when Rob was around, he just smiled. He never said anything bad about him, even when you could tell he wanted to, it's like Rob made Sheldon shut down on us." Michael stubbed his cigarette out on the wall. "That man's a control freak, it's a miracle he lets Sheldon go to work, he'd much rather turn him into a fucking housewife."

"He was that bad huh?" Danny gazed over the dark street, thinking about Michael's counterpart lying in a hospital bed across town. "Where can I find him?"

"If you've any sense at all..." Michael remarked slowly, "you wouldn't leave his side for a minute..."

* * *

"Robert Hookey?" a man in his fifties turned around, still clenching Sheldon's wrist tightly. Danny could see the relief spread across Sheldon's face as he walked through the door. Danny jerked his head. "We need to talk." Rob slowly let go of Sheldon and came towards Danny. Michael pushed roughly past him and sat on the edge of Sheldon's bed, gently taking his brother's hand in his own. Danny closed the door and indicated to the waiting room. "Let's go in here."

"What's this all about?" Rob was tall, confident, and good looking for a man in his late fifties, Danny could see how Sheldon fell for him, the man was charming, all in all, from the way he dressed to the commanding gaze from the blue eyes under the grey hair. Danny mentally shook himself.

"You know what happened to Sheldon a few nights back?"

"Yeah, some asshole got his hands on him." he was too cocky, and as he ran his hand through his hair Danny caught sight of a bite mark.

"How'd'you get that bite mark?"

"Friend's dog." Rob shook the question off easily. Danny came close to him.

"I know you did this to Sheldon."

"You know nothing." he didn't blink. "You've been listening to Mickey too much." Danny grabbed Rob's wrist roughly.

"His name is Michael." he growled.

"Let go of me! What the hell do you think you're doing??" Rob finally twisted his arm free of Danny's grasp as another voice rang out.

"Danny!" Danny shut his eyes in frustration as Mac turned up. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, we were just talking." Danny gave Rob a hard stare as he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Stella walked through the lab, twining and untwining her fingers together irritably. As she brushed her hair aside she caught sight of Danny intently watching a computer screen flip through DNA profiles.

"Danny?" She leaned over his shoulder. What are you doing?"

"Trying to get a match to the rape kit."

"You found a suspect? I though Mac took you off the case?" As Danny gave her a raised eyebrow she sighed. "Danny...come on..."

"Seriously Stella I swear to god it was Sheldon's boyfriend who did this to him. If I can match the DNA from his skin to the DNA in the semen we found that will be enough of a match to get us a warrant for his apartment."

"Since when did we have Rob's skin DNA?" Stella asked pointedly. Danny rubbed his forehead.

"Since I scratched him at the hospital." Stella rolled her eyes.

"Danny if Mac finds out you did this you have no idea how much trouble you'll be in!! I mean...this evidence, if it's right, won't hold up in court seeing as how you aren't even supposed to be working his case."

"You wanna sign for it?" Danny gave her a pleading look. Stella groaned.

"What are you going on? Hmm? Gut instinct?"

"Is that so wrong?"

Stella paused before answering.

"No, but it could get you into trouble. And make things worse for Sheldon ."

Danny shook his head.

"It's not just me, you should hear what Michael has to say about him. Besides, something's making Sheldon clam up, he's lying."

"Danny..."

"Stop Danny-ing me..." Danny snapped. Stella groaned again just as the screen flashed up a match between both sets of DNA. Danny grinned "Boom."

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! sorry I always take so long. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx love you all ;)  
**


	10. It's Done

**It's Done**

"Why are you protecting him? Why the fuck are you protecting him Kiki? After what he's done to you?"

"Michael-" Danny put a hand on Michael's shoulder but he shrugged it off furiously.

"You don't get it-" he spun back to Sheldon. "-he's been this stupid before, why the fuck haven't you learnt-"

"Michael please!" Sheldon buried his head in his hands as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed, waiting to be discharged.

"Michael go outside for a sec ok?"

"What the fuck?? I'm his fucking brother-!"

"Michael! Seriously!" Danny and Michael stared each other out for a minute before the latter finally turned on his heel and stormed out. Danny let out a breath and sat down next to his friend. After a pause he spoke. "Listen buddy, we've got the evidence now. He's going to the clink whether you want it or not. But if we want to make sure that he leaves you alone for good, you're going to have to testify-"

"I'm not going to court Danny, I won't." Sheldon raised his head, he was firm. "If Rob's going to jail anyway, where's the point?" Danny shook his head incredulously as he paced the room.

"How can you still love this guy?? I don't get it! You're smart Sheldon-"

"You sound just like Michael." Sheldon stood up too. "But I have insecurities too. And for a while Rob made me feel like I was something more than a trophy." Sheldon never lost eye contact with Danny. "I couldn't help falling for him. You'll never understand unless you go through it yourself."

"I want to understand-"

"You can't!" Sheldon put his hand over his eyes. "Danny, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but please, I want to forget about this now." He moved away. "It's done."

* * *

Danny straightened his tie as he prepared to re-enter the courtroom with the others. He looked around quickly when he heard a door behind him, just another lawyer. Danny hung his head, hands in pockets.

"You think he'll come?" he asked.

"We can't force him." Mac gave him a look which quite clearly told Danny to leave it. Danny laughed humourlessly, and paced the room.

"This is stupid Mac, if Sheldon doesn't testify-"

"He said he wouldn't, we can't force him." Mac repeated sternly. Danny shook his head as they were called back into session, and with one final glance back at the door followed Mac into the courtroom.

It took all Danny's self control not to leap out of his seat and punch that arrogant smirk off Robert Hookey's face. Every time that man answered a question he was so self-assured, so confident that he was in the right and had done nothing wrong it infuriated Danny, just as Mac knew it would. He often had to place a hand on Danny's arm firmly when he could see Danny's fists clenching. As Hookey finally stepped down after spending most of his time in the stand calmly remarking that he and Sheldon had had consensual sex, Mac whispered in Danny's ear;

"He wants you to lose control, don't let him have that satisfaction." Hookey sat down and his lawyer finished his spiel. Sheldon's lawyer stood up, she was his elder sister, normally a bouncy chatty girl but now, very serious and professional. She walked towards the judge.

"Your honour I would like to call one more witness to the stand." The judge was surprised.

"I was under the impression Stephens, that there were no witnesses."

"A very important part of the puzzle has just been found." She replied steadily. She turned to the back of the courtroom. "Your honour, the victim, Sheldon Hawkes." There was a gasp from the crowd, including the CSIs, as everyone swivelled in their seats to see Sheldon walking down the aisle with his eyes downcast. As he passed Danny's row Danny felt an urge to say something, then caught sight of Mac's expression.

The next 15 minutes or so were excruciatingly painful for everyone in that courtroom, with the exception of Hookey. Sheldon replied to his sister's questions as neutrally as possible but his emotions were brimming beneath the surface. What had happened to him during those lost hours in the park was horrific, beatings, forced oral sex, repeated raping, along with what had led up to it, the tying to a hot radiator, the insults, the iron burns. Danny could barely listen to it, especially when he turned around and saw Sheldon's parents crying at the back of the room. Eventually the ordeal was over, and Sheldon was ushered out of the courtroom first. During the jury's discussion the CSIs sat in silence, unable to bring themselves to say anything. Danny couldn't stand the tension in the room any longer and went outside for fresh air, where he saw Mac standing on the steps outside the courthouse, just gazing across New York City traffic.

"Mac?"

"You ok?" Danny shrugged, not sure how to answer Mac's question.

"Geez, I dunno. I dunno Mac, I wish I'd…god…" they stood quietly together for a while until Danny collected his thoughts. "You knew he was coming didn't you?"

"I hoped he would."

"What did you say to make him change his mind?"

"I didn't," Mac smiled ruefully, "I almost wish I'd persuaded him to stay out of it now." There was a pause. "No," Mac spoke again "he was already changing his mind when I saw him. He's a brave man."

"you're telling me" Danny muttered. Mac watched Danny sadly.

"It was you." Danny looked up. Mac smiled. "He changed his mind because of you." Danny didn't know what to think of that. A bell rang. "Jury's in," Mac put his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Come on."

* * *

Guilty. How could Hookey have been anything else? He was jailed for 15 years and when released wouldn't be allowed within 50 feet of Sheldon. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief after the trail was over, but Sheldon didn't return to the lab until two weeks after, during which Danny and Lindsey had agreed to work it out for the sake of Lucy and the divorce was sidelined. Stella remarked on this fact as she and Danny were running trace on a new case.

"It's so nice to see you two back together." She tossed her hair back as she peered down the microscope.

"Yeah."

"yeah?" Stella looked up frowning. "You don't sound too excited to be back with the woman you love." Danny shrugged.

"I dunno Stell, things aren't the same."

"Of course they're not, you nearly got divorced!" she laughed at him. Danny pretended to laugh with her as Don walked in.

"Hey guys, there's good news waiting in Mac's office."

"Really?" Danny was very suspicious, "there's never good news in Mac's office for me." Don grinned.

"Nah, this is good!"

* * *

"Sheldon!!!" It was like a family reunion with hugs all around. Mac even broke his stoic-ness and didn't just hug Sheldon but the others as well. Danny held onto Sheldon for as long as possible. He'd lost weight and he looked like he hadn't been sleeping well, but he was happy and glad to be working again. As he and Danny walked down to Adam's cubby hole he talked openly as Danny queried about his health and absence.

"I went to a counsellor..."

"Poor you," Danny quipped. Sheldon smiled that warm smile.

"Yeah well, I didn't go for long, in the end I spent most of those two weeks hanging out with my family."

"Lucky."

"I am lucky," Sheldon was still smiling but he sounded more serious. "I've been thinking," he stopped walking and Danny faced him. "I owe you a lot Danny, as if I didn't already what with you saving my life a while back…"

"It'll always be a life worth saving, Doc. Always." There was a pause, then Danny wrapped his arms around Sheldon and Sheldon returned the hug.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Anytime" Danny replied. "oh and Sheldon?"

"Yeah?"

Danny looked his friend straight in the eye. "You're so much more than a trophy, and you always will be."


	11. New Beginnings

_Some ppl seem to think last chapter was the end…oh no it isn't! there's lots more to come! I'm also diverging a little from the big storyline to put a little bit of fun in! enjoy it! Xxxx_

**New Beginnings**

On a beautiful bright sunny April morning Mac strode into the lab to find Danny sitting at a desk looking sheepish. He raised one eyebrow at the miscreant who ran his hands through his hair as he avoided making eye contact with his boss.

"Danny?" Mac leaned on the table, "what've you done?" Danny groaned.

"Please Mac," he begged "don't fire me over this, I'm so sorry, I can't believe I was such an idiot! Oh god!" Danny buried his face in his hands. Now Mac was a little concerned.

"Danny what's happened? Just tell me." Mac's tone became strict. Danny raised his head.

"I…I planted evidence on a case, the guy was a jerk! I had to do something!" Danny hang his head again. "And I…mumble murmur" Mac slapped his hand down on the table.

"You what???"

"Lost some evidence" Mac stared in disbelief at Danny.

"You lost-???" Mac could barely speak for anger. "Danny have you ANY idea of how idio--!" then Mac noticed Danny giggling uncontrollably. Then Mac caught sight of the date on a calendar behind Danny. 1st of April. April bloody fool's day. He shook his head with gritted teeth. "All right Messer, you've had your laugh, now get back to work." Still laughing Danny left the lab. Mac grimaced.

*********

Stella bounced into the trace lab and sang as she swung her lab coat around her shoulders.

"…I'm as bouncy as a puppet on a striiiiiiiiing! Oh why do I have spring feeeeeeeever? When it iiiiiiisn't eeeven spriiiiiinnnnnng!" Sheldon covered his ears as best he could with his wrists.

"Ow Stell. Really, ow." They grinned at one another as Stella danced around and hugged him from behind.

"It's a new month," she gushed, "it's a new dawn, it's a new day…"They sang together "and I'm feeeeeeeling goooooood!"

"Yeah, so why are you feeling so good this morning?" Sheldon asked. Stella tossed her curls at him.

"I dunno," she said, "I guess because the sun is finally shining, what happened last month is done," she kissed his cheek at this, "and everyone's starting over. Mac's promised to be nice, Sid's promised to leave out the sexual innuendos," Sheldon couldn't help but laugh, "and Danny and Lindsey are sorting things out so it's all good! What?" Sheldon wasn't laughing any more.

"Danny and Lindsey aren't getting a divorce?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Stella frowned. "you're happy for them right?"

"Yeah, yeah, but I…Danny just seemed set on the divorce, last time I spoke to him about it."

"Well," Stella pulled on her gloves, "maybe it's the new beginnings that's made him change his mind."

Sheldon seemed distracted that day. Well, most people were considering how much everyone wanted to be out in the sunshine rather than the lab. But Sheldon had gone really quiet, quieter than usual, and Danny was worried. He caught up with him in the locker room.

"Hey buddy, you ok?"

Sheldon smiled.

"Yeah I'm fine." There was a pause. "Congratulations on deciding to work things out with Lindsey by the way. I didn't know…" there was an awkward silence. Danny wasn't quite sure how to respond, he couldn't say he was happy about the turnaround, but he knew it was for the best. Sheldon breathed in. "I'm happy for you." He added, then left the locker room, squeezing Danny's shoulder as he passed.

For the next few days things were tense, and not just between Danny and Sheldon, between Danny and Lindsey and also a very different kind of tenseness between Mac and Stella. Don brought this up as he and Sheldon walked back to a subway.

"Hey doc, have you noticed the spark between Mac and Stella these days?"

"Whaddaya mean, these days? That's been going on for ages."

"True," Don nodded, "but it's getting kind of tense now."

"Sexual tension," Sheldon whispered sexily. Don snorted.

"Woah! Easy tiger!" they laughed.

"Easy on what? You know I have a huge crush on you," Sheldon joked. Don shook his head still laughing. Sheldon nudged him with his elbow. "And you have one on me too."

"Obviously," Don played along. "It's even huger than yours for me."

"So huge you can see it through your pants." There was a beat where they both stopped walking and stared at each other, unable to believe that nice Sheldon had said that. Then they fell about in hysterics.

"I never expected something as dirty as that to come out of your mouth Sheldon Hawkes!"

They leaned on the handrail to the subway to steady themselves. Don caught his breath. "Seriously though I can understand why you're so attracted to me."

"Yes," Sheldon coughed "and I can understand why you're so attracted to me." Don grinned.

"You're a feisty little doctor today aren't you?" Sheldon laughed but soon his smile faded away. Don moved closer to him. "Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah," Sheldon shook himself. "I'm fine." He grinned wickedly. "Just thinking about kissing you."

"of course!" Don smirked.

"Would you ever kiss a guy?" Sheldon queried. Don shrugged.

"I'd kiss you," he admitted. "I'm not as tight-ass as Danny is about these things." Sheldon gave a humourless laugh.

"That's because Danny's afraid he'd like it."

"Too true," Don nodded sagely. There was friendly silence between them then Sheldon turned to Don.

"Go on then," he said, "I dare you to kiss me." Don whistled.

"Don't hold back or anything will you Doc?" Don hesitated a moment during which Sheldon gave a knowing smirk.

"Didn't think so." He murmured.

"Well," Don began off-hand, "it's partly to do with you being black--!"

"Racist!"

"I'm joking!" with that Don reached around Sheldon's waist with one arm and drew him towards him as he planted a proper kiss on Sheldon's full lips. Sheldon kind of expected the world to stop, or start whizzing…but he got nothing, it was just a nice kiss, nothing extraordinary. Don released him. "So there."

"Not bad." Sheldon shrugged.

"Not bad??" Don pretended to be insulted. "I'll give you not bad Sheldon Hawkes, how about I stick my tongue down your throat!" during this he started to wrestle Sheldon on the stairs. "That'll show you!"

"Don!!!" Sheldon almost slipped, but Don caught him just in time. Sheldon steadied himself. "That'll teach you to play on the stairs!"

_love to all of you xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_


	12. A Romantic Detour

**A Romantic Detour**

_**I'M BAAAAAAAAAACK! As if you thought I wouldn't be! Mwah! xxxxxxx**_

"He must have bled out." Stella inspected the body closely. "Puncture wound just above the jugular, and another," she lifted the victim's shirt, "in his belly button. Our killer must have very small knowledge of anatomy." Mac gave a humourless laugh as he shone his torch on the blood spatter against the wall. Something dropped beside him. He quickly looked down to his feet where a fresh drop of blood was shivering. He turned and looked upwards, straining to see a shape among the rusty railings and walkways in the roof of the abandoned garage. Stella stood up, following some footprints in the dust, Mac walked in the other direction towards the back of garage to see if there was another exit. There was a bang behind him and Stella cried out, "Mac!". He spun round immediately to see a tall man hurtling towards Stella who was reaching for her gun. The man caught Stella in the midriff as Mac started to run. Her gun flew out her hand and hit the opposite wall. Vainly she tried to grab hold of the man who was struggling to get up, he leaned over and was about to strike her in the face when Mac grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind him, pulling the suspect off Stella in one swift movement. Mac got the suspect in handcuffs as Don came running in. Stella stood up gingerly.

"Stella," she looked up and met Mac's eyes. " You ok?" she nodded.

"Yes, Mac I'm fine, just a little winded." As Mac handed the man over to Don he gave the handcuffs an extra wrench so the metal scraped against the culprit's wrists, then let him go, with a grim smile of satisfaction.

*********

Later that day Danny walked in on Sheldon inspecting Stella with her top half-off.

"Woah! Guys, get a room!" Danny flailed his hands in front of his face unsure whether to leave or stay and watch. (A/N: jokes! You wish) Sheldon gave him a withering glance.

"Sheldon's making sure I don't have internal bleeding or broken ribs Danny." Stella sighed.

"Oh," Danny uncovered his face and sat down. "Why, what happened?"

"Just another runner, " she pulled down her top, "he ran headfirst into me." Danny pulled an 'oooo' face.

"You're ok," Sheldon said. "you're just going to be badly bruised." Stella sighed again. Don popped his head around the door.

"Hey guys, you all right Stel?"

"Yeah I'll be fine." She stood up, wincing a little as she did so. "Is Mac in his office?"

"Yep"

"Ok then," Stella patted Sheldon's cheek, "thanks Sheldon." She left the room as Don properly entered it.

"So," Danny glanced up, Don had that mischievous look on his face.

"What you grinning about?" he asked.

"Don't ask," Sheldon groaned. Don slid onto the sofa next to Sheldon.

"Danny can ask if he wants." Don stretched his long limbs out, draping one leg over Sheldon's. Sheldon pushed him off roughly. "Hey! That's no way to treat your boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND????" Danny coughed and spluttered.

"Calm down, Danny he's joking."

"God Messer can't you tell when I'm joking?" Don grinned at the scowl on Danny's face. "You should have seen your face." Don was laughing, Sheldon was smiling but Danny couldn't, as he tried to forget the sudden flame of jealousy that had flared up inside him. "I did kiss him though." Don remarked casually. There it was again, that burning feeling in the pit of his stomach. Danny tried to keep his voice normal.

"You what???"

"He dared me to so I did. " Don swung his legs off the sofa. "Best kiss he's ever had." Sheldon laughed outright.

"You wish!" he joked.

"I do," Don said morosely.

************

Meanwhile Stella was in Mac's office, waiting for him to finish a phone call.

"Ok, I will." Mac put the phone down. "Sorry…"

"It's fine," Stella waved her hand at him, "since when has talking on the phone been a crime?" Mac smiled.

"What did you want to say? He asked.

"I just, " Stella twisted her fingers, "wanted to say thank you." Mac raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"For this morning?" Stella nodded. Now Mac frowned, then spoke slowly. "I've lost count of how many times I've done that for you, and how many times you've done that for me, but I know you've never said thank you in this way before." He paused "What's different?"

Stella sighed and shrugged. "I don't know Mac, I just…" she took a deep breath, "we're partners right? We're good friends and I like that, I love that…but do you ever wonder…." She looked at her feet. "Sometimes I think…." She met his eyes "Life's too short, and every time that happens to one of us the same thought goes through my mind and I'm scared that one day we'll miss out altogether…"

"Stella…" she couldn't stop now, no matter what Mac said. She moved towards him.

"I've known you for so long, "she began, " I know what you're thinking and I know, you know, what I'm thinking, " there was a silence where they both gazed into each other's eyes. "We're not getting any younger…" Mac laughed and Stella joined in.

"No," he agreed, "we're not, and you seem to be getting less comprehensible!"

"Mac-"

"Stella," he took her hands in his. "I know what you're saying…." Stella breathed a sigh of relief. "how about _Mark's_ tonight, about 8?" Stella gave that little sideways head move that she does when surprised.

"ooo, I'll have to ask my boss if that's ok," Mac smiled.

"I'll ask him," he said, "boss says yes!" Stella laughed, then put her hand on Mac's cheek before turning to go.

"_Mark's _then," she said. She pointed her finger threateningly at Mac, "You better not stand me up Mac Taylor."

"I wouldn't dream of it Stella Bonasera!"

**mwah!!! love you all!!!!xxxxx**


	13. The Returning Warrior

_**I'm back again! Sorry I take so long anyways….here's a new chapter, I hope you enjoy it!!! xxxx**_

**The Returning Warrior**

Against the dark outlines of Coney Island two figures walked together, laughing and watching the sun go down. They halted by the railings overlooking the beach, both leaning forwards. One nudged the other who nudged her back. They were still for a while, watching the last of the yellow rays disappear over the dark water.

Stella tossed her hair out of her face as the wind grew stronger, hugging her jacket close to her. She glanced sideways at Mac who was gazing at the sky, and smiled. He sensed her looking and smiled as he turned to face her.

"Thank you for tonight" Stella said. "I really enjoyed it."

"So did I," Mac replied. There was a comfortable silence between them until Mac spoke again. "I feel we should be more cautious about this, at least that's what my gut is telling me."

"Your gut is hardly ever wrong," Stella quipped. "it got us through a lot of cases."

"Stella…"Mac laughed slightly. Stella laughed too, then a thought stopped her and she stood up straight.

"Mac," she began, she twisted her fingers together, "I don't want to ruin our friendship…"

"Neither do I." something in the way Mac was looking at her made Stella relax. She dropped her hands by her sides and sighed.

"This isn't wrong, is it?" she asked. Mac smiled and shook his head, standing as he did.

"No. It's right." there was another silence, in which both looked at their feet. Stella raised her head so she was watching the waves roll steadily in upon each other. Her hair was still blowing across her face, and as she tucked it behind her ear she felt Mac's hand do the same. She turned back to gaze into his eyes. Mac rested his hand on her cheek. "You should buy a hair grip." He said it seriously enough, but there was that twinkle in his blue-grey eyes that Stella loved so. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Maybe you can buy one to give to me on our next date." Mac laughed gently and raised his own eyebrows.

"Maybe!" there was a pause where they just looked at one another, then as Mac leaned forwards, Stella put her hands on his chest, and he kissed her. Stella slid her hands up his chest to around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. Stella ran her fingers through his hair, pressing closer to him as the kiss deepened.

Meanwhile, far across New York, Danny and Sheldon wandered into the precinct looking for Don, who happened to have his feet up on his desk, catching forty winks. Danny sat on the edge of Don's desk, vividly remembering the last time he did this was when Sheldon was still in hospital, the memory of that situation still made him shiver with anger.

"Don! Hey Donny!" Danny pushed Don's feet off the desk which woke the detective up with a start.

"Woah! What the hell-!" he rubbed his eyes and sat up. "What was that for?" he asked indignantly.

"For sleeping on the job." Danny picked up Don's notebook.

"He's still mad you've kissed me and not him," Sheldon chuckled. Don made suggestive eyebrow movements at Sheldon who laughed. "Stop it! You look ridiculous."

"Yeah, you really do," Danny chipped in. Don grabbed his notebook off Danny and hit his friend with it.

"What do you two want?"

"Harvey Midston." Danny replied. Don pressed a couple of keys on his computer.

"In lock up, " he leaned back. "Why, what do you want him for?"

"He's linked to our case." Sheldon came round to look at the screen. "Half-brother of a suspect."

"The usual." Danny tossed a paper weight up and down, as he did he caught sight of a man in army uniform sitting in one of the waiting areas. He put the paper weight down and stood up. "Hey Don, who's the returning warrior?" Don looked over.

"Oh yeah, Sheldon, that guy was asking for you." Sheldon looked up.

"Who?" he scanned the room with his light brown eyes.

"Him." Don indicated to the man in desert uniform. "Jacob something…" Don trailed off as he saw the look in Sheldon's eyes. Danny glanced up.

"Doc? You ok?"

Sheldon could hardly breathe, his heart was pounding fast as he recognised the battle scarred man sitting on the other side of the room.

"Jacob…" Sheldon didn't even notice himself moving as he ran towards him, calling out, "Jacob!" Jacob looked up and immediately rose from his seat, running to meet Sheldon. He caught the African in his arms as Sheldon's hands clung desperately to his shirt and kissed him passionately.

Danny and Don had stood up when Sheldon had started to run, they both watched the scene unfold as Jacob and Sheldon broke apart, Jacob put his hands on Sheldon's face and leaned his forehead against Sheldon's. He was smiling, almost laughing but he was also close to tears, as was Sheldon who kissed him again. Everyone else who was in that room at that time could feel the relief, the excitement and the happiness from these two men who clung to each other so tightly. Even from where he was, Danny could see Jacob whispering 'I love you' in Sheldon's ear, and while he and Don were close to tears at the sheer joy of the scene, in the pit of his stomach, jealousy growled and was ignored.

Danny and Don joined the others in the break room, having already agreed they wouldn't say anything, it was Sheldon's news to tell. After a little while Danny saw Sheldon walk along the corridor alone and enter the break room.

"hey Sheldon!" Adam tried to greet him 'coolly' (as he does) but Stella saw immediately what Adam had missed.

"Sheldon, have you been crying?" she put an arm around his shoulders. "Are you ok?" Sheldon smiled.

"I'm fine," he replied, "never been better!" he laughed slightly at himself. "My boyfriend's back from Iraq."

"Sheldon!" Stella stared at him open mouthed. "Who went to Iraq?"

"Jacob."

"You never said," Mac came forwards. "How long has he been in Iraq?"

"Five years."

"Woah," Danny stood up, "five years? Your boyfriend's been away five years and you didn't say anything." Sheldon shrugged.

"I didn't know what to say." He admitted. "He broke up with me before he left so I wouldn't feel tied down, but no other relationship's felt right."

"Did Jacob fight in Afghanistan?" Stella asked, a memory stirring in her mind. Sheldon nodded.

"Before I met him." As the questions went on, Danny noticed Lindsey sitting at the table, quietly and almost awkwardly, then she slipped out when she thought no one was watching. Danny frowned. What was up with her?

A little later on, when Sheldon had faithfully promised to introduce Jacob to them, Danny found Lindsey sitting in the lab peering down the microscope. He felt a sudden loathing for her which made him sharp with her.

"What was that about?" he demanded brusquely. Lindsey was surprised at the harsh tone in his voice.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"When Sheldon was telling us about his boyfriend," she looked away, "What Lindsey? What?" Danny started to get aggressive as he felt the need to defend Sheldon.

"Danny," she moved away from him. "You have your views, Hawkes' has his, and I have mine." Danny nodded, understanding.

"Right, right, you can't stand the fact that Sheldon can love men as well as women. How narrow minded are you?"

"Danny, I respect that you think it's ok for Sheldon to…"she searched for the right word, "…_be_ with men, but I don't, can't you accept that about me?" she gazed pleadingly at him, but Danny shook his head forcefully.

"No," he said angrily," no I can't." With that he left the room.

_**Kisses to all! xxxxxxxxxx**_


	14. Perfect

_**Hello, *looks guilty* yes I'm a very bad person but here is the next chapter AT LAST! Sorry xxxxx**_

**Perfect**

Danny rubbed his eyes as he collapsed on the sofa in the workroom. Lindsey was refusing to talk to Sheldon, refusing to work with him, and Danny was surprised at himself; never before had he spent so much time actually working in the lab, but these days he needed an excuse to be away from Lindsey. When she was on shift he did his best to be out drinking with Don or whoever, and whenever he thought of Lucy it was accompanied by a pang of guilt. The relationship was strained, to make the understatement of the century. And besides that, Sheldon only had eyes for Jacob, in fact it was like he only had time for Jacob, Danny only ever saw Sheldon at the lab; Jacob was the focal point of Sheldon's life it seemed.

Danny groaned. Jacob was a great guy, too great. And he pissed. Danny. Off. He had perfect curly chestnut brown hair, was two inches taller than Danny (which was always a problem unless the added two inches made Don Flack), was witty, intelligent, had almond shaped brown eyes and worst of all, he made Sheldon happy. Danny had never seen such a smile on Sheldon's lips before Jacob arrived. And of course it doesn't exactly add anything to your mood when your friend wanders in yawning only to explain that he was up all night having sex three times when you're not getting any at all. Danny's head lolled back against the wall, his eyes closed. Of course he was happy Sheldon was happy, but seriously, could this Jacob guy just not be so perfect? It was bad enough having to deal with perfect Sheldon for over eight years.

At the sound of the door Danny opened one eye. Speak of the devil. Sheldon came in and put a file down at his desk. Danny noticed he was wearing that light blue top that he looked so good in.

"Don't say hello or anything, I'm just part of the furniture," Danny grumbled. Sheldon didn't look up from his laptop but he smirked slightly as he replied.

"Hmm, Mac did say we'd be getting new couches, oh wait!" Sheldon looked up to the ceiling as if he'd forgotten something. "Or did he mean couch potatoes?"

"Ha ha." Danny said without any enthusiasm. He sat up as he continued, "I'm anything but a couch potato these days." Sheldon walked over Danny and sat on a swivel chair opposite him.

"When was the last time you went home?" he asked his voice full of concern. Danny rubbed a hand over his forehead.

"Ask me another!" Danny smiled weakly. "So how long where you keeping the neighbours up for last night?"

Sheldon grinned. "Nah, don't worry, I won't make you feel any more impotent than you do already-"

"Oh thanks!"

"-Jacob was working last night."

Danny leaned his elbows on his knees as he looked up at Sheldon. "He managed to get a job? Is he a butcher by any chance?" Sheldon sighed with annoyance.

"What have you got against Jacob?" he demanded, his smile replaced by a frown, his soft brown eyes now glaring a little at Danny. "What has he done to you to make you hate him?" Danny immediately regretted his words, and deep inside him something wished that one day Sheldon would smile at him the way he smiled at Jacob. Sheldon leaned on the back of the chair. "You're too quick to make judgements." He remarked. Danny turned the corners of his mouth down and nodded as he silently agreed with Sheldon. Then he shrugged and spoke.

"I'm sorry, I am, it's just…you know, before Jacob came along I felt like, we'd got closer. Now, you just spend all your time with him."

"After spending five years away from him." Sheldon pointed out none too gently. There was a silence. Finally Danny broke it.

"All right, I'm wrong I know," he glanced up at Sheldon who had his chin in his hand while his elbow rested on the chair back. "but you know, I've already had to deal with one perfect person for almost ten years, it doesn't do much for my ego to have another suddenly waltz in!" Sheldon snorted.

"Your ego, " he started incredulously, "has never deflated once since I've known you! A little prick would do you good." There was a pause while Danny tried to stop himself from sniggering and Sheldon gradually understood Danny's sexual interpretation of what he'd said. "Oh come on!" Sheldon struggled to hold back a laugh. "how old do you think you are Danny Messer?" The gravity of the conversation broken the two men dissolved into fits of childish laughter.

Sheldon walked down to the underground car park, jingling his keys in his hand and whistling, glad that Danny wasn't evilling him anymore. Danny had demanded that at least once a week they should go for a drink together. Don had found this hilarious, but he soon agreed and started putting his own orders in for more "Encyclopaedia Sheldonia time". Sheldon laughed to himself as he remembered the whole thing collapsing into a fit of giggles. Danny had requested that Jacob never be mentioned, Don had requested that Jacob was kept out of sight, Danny requested Jacob be sent far away and so on until it ended up with Don and Danny's elaborate plot to steal the Tardis, go back in time and make sure Jacob was never born. Sheldon shook his head, smiling as he reached his car, unlocked it and walked to the door. Suddenly someone pressed him forcefully against the car, then grabbed him by his collar and shoved him backwards towards the wall. Sheldon struggled and caught a glimpse of an NYPD badge as he was roughly pinned against the concrete wall and a hand pulled his chin up. Sheldon rolled his eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Jacob!"

Jacob grinned and pressed his body against Sheldon's.

"What? Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that!" he started kissing Sheldon's neck, working his way to Sheldon's collarbone while sliding his hand up his boyfriend's top. "Little bit of danger never did anyone any harm." Sheldon tried to reprimand him but was stopped by Jacob's mouth. As Jacob slid his tongue in his hands wandered over Sheldon's ass, and he pressed his thigh between Sheldon's legs. Sheldon entwined his hands in Jacob's hair as Jacob kissed his cheek and then back down his neck.

"Get in the car" Jacob murmured. Sheldon needed no second bidding.

Stella walked into Mac's office, her curls tied up to keep them out of her face.

"Hey."

Mac looked up and smiled. "Hey," he closed his laptop as Stella seated herself on the other side of the desk. "what do you want to do tonight?"

"Well," Stella leaned forwards, "I was thinking…pizza then a movie?" Mac nodded, but Stella hadn't finished, "but then I thought why not try something more adventurous?" Mac raised his eyebrows.

"Adventurous? I'm not very adventurous."

Stella pushed a curl behind her ear. "You know it's gonna be a long night, and everyone else has gone so…."

Within minutes, giggling like naughty school children Mac and Stella sneaked into Chief Sinclair's office, made sure the door was locked, then Mac took Stella around the waist, swept most of Chief's papers onto the floor and lay her across the desk as they started kissing.

And while Mac and Stella were making love on Chief Sinclair's desk, and Sheldon and Jacob were having passionate sex in the back of car, someone else had arrived at an unfamiliar flat, making out with the owner of the flat, the couple making their way to the bedroom, getting into bed and fucking.


	15. Morning

**Morning**

Stella stretched and rolled onto her back, gazing at the ceiling as she put her hands under the pillow to prop her head up. She closed her eyes and smiled happily, then giggled. She relaxed and breathed in the smell of scrambled eggs on toast. Then she felt a kiss on her cheek and Mac's voice: "Mornin'"

Stella opened her eyes. "Mornin'" she replied. Mac kissed her lips gently and stroked her cheek.

"Breakfast in bed?" he asked.

"Mmm! That'd be nice detective!" Stella wrapped her arms around Mac's neck. Mac kissed her again. "I already detect the suspicious smell of scrambled eggs…"

"With butter?"

"Please!" They kissed again then Mac got up and started towards the door. "Oh Mac! Can I get a coffee with that?"

"It'll cost you extra."

"Whatever it takes baby!"

* * *

Lindsey sat in the lab working at her computer with only a cup of coffee to keep her company. Danny had stormed out last night and Lucy had kept her awake for the rest of it. Lindsey rested her head in her hand as she stared at the computer screen without really seeing it. It was the dawn hour in the lab, night shifts had just left and day shifts were just coming in. Lindsey looked out of the window where the sun was spreading its' pale yellow morning light over New York.

* * *

Sheldon awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. Groggily he tried to sit up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and discovering Jacob's arm around his waist. Sheldon leaned over the edge of the bed, fervently hoping that he wouldn't have to get out to find his phone. Sheldon smiled as he finally succeeded in pulling his jeans towards him and finding his phone in the pocket. Luck was on his side this morning.

"Sheldon Hawkes?"

"Don't sound too happy will you doc?" Don's NYC accent came sliding down the phone. Sheldon groaned. "If you can manage to drag yourself away from that boyfriend of yours meet me at the precinct asap."

"Fine"

"I don't know what you're complaining about, I've been up all night! Pretzel breakfast? It's on me."

"Yeah, I think I can manage to get out of bed for that. See you." Sheldon put his phone on the bedside table and lay on his back with his eyes closed. Just another minute….no….Jacob's snoring was too loud. He'd have to get up now. Sheldon sighed and gave Jacob a shove.

"W-wha-!" Jacob woke up abruptly. Sheldon kissed his cheek.

"I gotta go. I'll see you tonight?"

"Mmm," Jacob kissed Sheldon's lips. "I gotta work." Sheldon rolled out of bed.

"All right, I'll see you whenever."

* * *

Danny's eyes slowly flickered open, then stayed open. He stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the throbbing in his head. Nope, definitely haven't seen this ceiling before, he thought. He looked to his right, the crooked blinds were closed against the morning sun. He propped himself up on his elbows as he took a look around at his surroundings. Everything was very unfamiliar. Danny closed his eyes in despair.

"Oh god." The nights' events began running unbidden through his mind. Arguing with Lindsey, drinking at a strip bar, was there a club involved somewhere? Must have been. The flat he was in didn't look like a stripper's. He shut his eyes tightly, hating himself. Slowly he opened them again and looked down at his one night stand. And immediately looked away again, not believing what he'd seen but remembering what lead up to this situation. Danny slipped out of the bed, trying not to wake the man who lay naked beside him. He found his jeans and pulled them on hurriedly. He slipped out of the bedroom and found his way to the living room where his shirt was on the floor, along with his jacket and his shoes. As soon as he'd shut the flat door behind him Danny walked as quickly as possible, where he was going he had no idea, just that he had to get away from what he'd done. Eventually he came to a halt in Central Park, where he found somewhere quiet to sit and think. And then fervently wish he hadn't.

_**Love to all of you xxxxxxxxxxxx**_


	16. Cheat: Part 1

**Cheat: Part 1**

Lindsey sat completely still in the lab, apparently staring at nothing. Stella edged her way in, trying to see what Lindsey was staring at. When she worked it out she sighed and put her hand on Lindsey' s shoulder.

"Lindsey…"

"He's cheating on me again Stella." Lindsey barely moved. "I know he is. I'm not sure I can forgive him again."

"Then don't!" Stella shook Lindsey's shoulder emphatically then sat next to her. "Don't put yourself through this, what Danny's doing to you is completely unfair. You can either let him get away with it or show him once and for all that you're not going to take him messing you around."

"I just…" Lindsey's tucked her hair behind her ear, sniffing a little. "I thought this was it, you know? I thought we'd spend the rest of our lives together. I don't wanna get divorced! I love him so much, I just don't understand why he insisted on us marrying if he was going to do this."

"Well, I doubt he planned to cheat on you." Stella remarked with a sigh. Lindsey sniffed again.

"I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at that!" There was a pause, then she cried. Stella hugged her tightly and glanced over to where Danny was discussing something with Sheldon, with something akin to murder in her eyes.

* * *

Mac was having one of his usual arguments with Chief Sinclair on the phone when Sheldon walked in. He motioned to Sheldon to stay while he got rid of the offending voice at the other end of the line. Finally he slammed the phone back on the hook and rubbed a hand over his forehead.

"Bad day?"

"Tell me about it," Mac laughed humourlessly and sat in his chair. "What is it?" Sheldon strolled over, hands in pockets.

"More bad news I'm afraid." he apologised. Mac shrugged and sighed. Sheldon delivered the bad news. "Our main suspect on the Credly case is dead."

"Murdered?"

Sheldon shook his head apologetically. "Sorry Mac, not even that. He died of a chest infection he contracted when he was in Asia on holiday." Mac groaned and got up.

"This day just gets worse and worse." He muttered. He and Sheldon walked to the door together, Mac inquiring after Sheldon's boyfriend. "How's Jacob? Did he find a job?"

"Yeah, he's a police officer."

"Oh yeah, you said, sorry."

Sheldon smiled gently as they started down the corridor. "You can't be expected to remember everything." Mac noticed a slight sadness in Sheldon's brown eyes.

"Sheldon?"

"Yeah?"

Mac stopped and turned to face Sheldon. "If there's anything troubling you," he said gently, "don't struggle with it on your own again." Sheldon looked to the floor and shook his head.

"It's nothing," he began, "honestly, it's just because Jacob's working now I don't see him so often. I just have to get used to it."

"Mm," Mac agreed, "you've had it too easy for too long!"

* * *

"Danny."

Danny turned around to see Stella standing in the doorway of their shared office.

"Yeah?"

"We need to talk."

Danny followed Stella out of the lab and realised they were walking towards the fast food stand.

"Stel, I appreciate you've evidently got something on your mind but I got a lot of work to catch up on." Stella whirled around, her bushy hair nearly whipping him in the face.

"Listen Danny, I don't know who it is and I don't know why it is, but if you value Lindsey and Lucy in any way at all you'll stop breaking their hearts."

Danny felt like the whole of his body had suddenly been put into a deep freeze. Did she know? Or was she guessing? Did Lindsey know?

Stella could see from the expression on Danny's face that she'd caught him. So he was cheating. This made her so angry she gave a small yell of frustration and slapped him across the face. Danny reeled, one hand to the side of his face that had suffered Stella's attack.

"I thought you were better than this Danny. Now get this, when you married Lindsey I don't think there was one of us who thought it would be plain sailing. None of us saw you as the marrying kind, and we all knew that you didn't think of yourself as the marrying kind, but we held our tongues for Lindsey's sake, and for almost a year we've been happy to believe we've been proved wrong." She shook her head, her eyes never leaving Danny's. "But evidently we gave you more credit than you deserved."

Danny wanted to speak, he wanted to defend himself, but he couldn't explain to Stella what was going on for him, the things he was struggling to work out. How could he explain when he didn't understand himself? Stella had folded her arms and she was furious, looking at him the way she normally reserved for hated criminals.

"Stella…I…"

"I'm not going to tell Lindsey, because I think that excruciating pain should be yours." She hissed. She shook her head again, her expression turning to one of disbelief and betrayal. "Why Danny? If you had to why did you have to do it to Lindsey?"

* * *

A few days more and the situation didn't show any signs of improving, and after one particularly long hard day at work Lindsey shut the door of the flat as best she could with Lucy in her arms who seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. Lindsey made her way to the sofa to put her bag down, and put Lucy in her chair. As she went to the cupboard to find Lucy's supper she thought she heard Lucy groan. She turned around, worried, but Lucy was sitting playing happily with her bear. Lindsey put the food down on the table then heard it again, it sounded less like a groan and more like….Lindsey stormed through the flat, unable to believe what was happening, already furious with Danny, already tears were welling up in her eyes as she arrived at the bedroom door and pushed it open to find her husband….She screamed in disgust at the sight before her.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx so much love to you lovely people!xxxxxxxxxx (and the moral of the story is…..if you're a CSI NY scriptwriter don't think it's cool to marry Lindsey and Danny together!)**


	17. Cheat: Part 2

**Cheat: Part 2**

Danny sat in the locker room, his back against the locker, clutching his head in his hands, repeatedly banging the back of his skull against the metal doors. He was humiliated, hated and out-ed. And try as he might he couldn't stop the memory running through his head.

_After Stella had had a go at him Danny had traipsed back to the lab, attempting to bully himself into telling Lindsey what was going on. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not that day, not the next day or the day after that. Instead, he either spent his time off still in the lab or at a gay bar called _Chuckle's_, going back to any guy's bed or sometimes, just going to the bar toilets_. _One night he managed to get off work a little earlier and wandered down to _Chuckle's_, not the classiest of bars in Manhattan, but the only place Danny really felt like going. As he dragged himself through the rainbow festooned doorway he glanced around, just to see…He wasn't here. Danny sighed and considered leaving, what was he doing here anyway? After the one sided conversation with Stella why was he doing exactly the opposite of what he should be doing? Danny reasoned with himself that he would have a good night here, so that tomorrow morning he could explain everything to Lindsey. The thought of explaining it all, especially taking into account the way she was treating Sheldon at the moment, was nauseating. Danny groaned and made his way over to the bar where he immediately slumped over the sticky worktop. He felt a hand ruffle his hair._

_"Danny?"_

_Danny raised his head and leant on his elbow, looking up at the kindly barman who smiled and ruffled his hair again._

_"You look like a dog who lost a bone." Freddy remarked in his Utah drawl._

_"Just get me a beer."_

_"Any beer?"_

_"Any beer, so long as it's alcoholic." Danny retorted. Freddy turned away with his hands held up in mock defence and proceeded to pour out a beer for him. He set it on the table and as Danny reached for his wallet shook his head._

_"Nah, you look so down, it's on me." _

_Danny managed a small smile as Freddy kissed the top of his head affectionately, then moved off to serve another customer. Danny looked around as he sipped his beer. It wasn't so rowdy tonight, but then again, it wasn't Drag Night, or Karaoke Night. Thank god. Danny took off his jacket and put it across his lap. All of a sudden he was aware of a chest inside a very tight t-shirt being thrust into his peripheral vision._

_"Hey gorgeous," Danny looked up at the slender blonde beside him. "buy me a drink?"_

_"Isn't it a school night?" Danny replied icily, pointedly not looking at the young boy._

_"Hah hah," the boy leaned his elbows on the bar so his arse was sticking out. "I'll have a-"_

_"Buy your own drink." Danny snapped and got off the stool to find somewhere away from all the young boys looking for a sugar daddy. He settled himself by a table in the corner and leant his head against the wall and groaned. He groaned again when he felt someone sit next to him. He was about to tell them to fuck off when they spoke;_

_"Seems like you're always drinking alone." said a deep Bronx accent. Danny's eyes opened immediately and he turned to the muscle bound African American who had short dreadlocks tied back into a low ponytail. For the first time in a week Danny smiled genuinely. The man put his hand beneath Danny's chin and drew him in for a kiss, gentle but firm, his big lips completely covering Danny's. They broke apart and Danny breathed a sigh of joy. "Did you miss me Mr Messer?" the man murmured into Danny's hair. Danny's hands slid up the man's wide chest, wishing he could take the t shirt off right here in the bar._

_"Oh I always miss you Tyron…" Danny whispered back, grinning, giving Tyron a quick kiss on his neck. Tyron slid his other hand up Danny's thigh and teasingly stroked Danny's crotch, drawing a little moan from Danny. "Tyron…" Danny couldn't say how agonising the weeks without Tyron were, when he had to sleep with just any guy, when Tyron wasn't there to take him to heaven. His heart was beating faster and faster as Tyron slipped his hand up Danny's shirt, gently caressing Danny's toned stomach, playing with Danny's belly button, making Danny giggle like a ten year old. Danny pushed his thigh between Tyron's, and wrapped his arms around his lover's neck, catching those big lips in his own as Tyron squeezed Danny's arse._

_"Come on baby," he whispered to Danny, "let's find somewhere more private…" _

That was the good part of the memory, seeing Tyron again after god knew how long. Danny had hoped Tyron would never realise that Danny felt more for him than he protested. Well, he definitely wouldn't now. Danny leant back against the lockers and groaned, his hands over his eyes as the next memory sprang forward, unbidden.

_"Oh Tyron…oh…" Yes, oh god yes this was how it was supposed to be, Danny on his back with Tyron moving steadily in and out, Danny's legs hooked over Tyron's broad shoulders. Danny clutched the pillow, gasping as Tyron moved deeper. Tyron kissed Danny's throat, then kissed his way down to Danny's nipples, already erect from previous attention, without breaking rhythm. Tyron teased Danny's nipple with his tongue as he gradually thrust faster. "Oh yes! Yes!" after so many weeks of average sex, it was so good to feel Tyron inside him again. As Tyron sped up he returned his mouth to Danny's and reached down between them, taking Danny's penis in his hand and stroking in rhythm as Danny thrust his hips up to meet Tyron's. Danny could feel himself coming close to edge, he wrapped his arms around Tyron's neck and clutched his hair._

_"Oh Danny, oh yeah…" It was as they both orgasmed intensely that someone else screamed._

Fucking Lindsey. Fucking fucking Lindsey. Why did she have to choose that day to come home early? Danny felt like crying as he asked himself why did he have to choose that day of all days to bring Tyron home? After that everything fell apart. Lindsey was furious, she was crying, Lucy started crying, Tyron left, fed up with all the drama surrounding Danny's life and Danny was left trying to find some way of justifying what he'd done. Only of course, there was no justification to be had. Lindsey had screamed at him through her tears to get out. Danny had left as quickly as possible and spent the rest of the night trying to concentrate on work at the lab. When the others arrived in the morning, Mac treated him coldly, Stella yelled at him, close to tears, and then took the chance to insult him every time she saw him. Don wouldn't speak to him, Adam had told him nervously that he was afraid to talk to Danny in case he lost Lindsey as a friend and Sid had shaken his head pityingly at him. Danny hadn't seen Sheldon yet, but he was the last person he wanted to see, knowing how disappointed and shocked and betrayed Sheldon would feel, just how Don was feeling now, only it would be a hundred times worse on Sheldon's gentle face. Danny shook with anger at himself, pulling savagely at his hair.


	18. Giveaway

**Giveaway**

Throughout the next week Danny continuously considered either quitting the crime lab or suicide. The cold shoulders, the snide remarks, the lost friends, yes he deserved it all but that didn't stop it from hurting. He dragged himself through life, having crashed at a hostel, he went out every night he wasn't working, sleeping with any man who crossed his path, gradually realising that he was going to have to accept that he was gay. This particular day was dreary. There was no sun but it was humid and heavy with grey clouds refusing to disperse. Danny walked through the lab with his head down as he did these days, avoiding looking anyone in the eye and slipped into the locker room where he swung his bag onto the bench with a groan, and sat himself down with another broken groan. He put his hands over his face then through his hair, as he did he turned his head slightly and stiffened as he caught sight of Sheldon leaning against the lockers looking gaunt.

"Sheldon?"

Sheldon was the only one who was talking to him normally, almost sympathetically, and although they never discussed what Danny had done Danny could feel Sheldon pitying him, and he never knew if that made him feel grateful that someone still cared or angry that Sheldon wasn't punishing him as the rest were. But now, Sheldon looked half dead.

Danny got up and walked over to Sheldon's listless figure. He sat next to him, leaning against the lockers, wondering if Sheldon had been crying, and if he had, who the bastard was who had caused that.

"Sheldon? Buddy, what's wrong?"

The only movement Sheldon made to acknowledge that he'd heard Danny was to shut his eyes. He pressed his lips together tightly, drawing in breath then exhaled, trembling slightly, still with his eyes shut.

"Let's just say," he whispered, "that I know how Lindsey feels right now."

Danny was unsure how to reply, if at all. Was that a dig at him? Had he done something? Or was it…

"Did Jacob…?"

Sheldon took a breath again and this time opened his eyes, barely holding back tears.

"It turns out," he said quietly, almost as if he didn't want himself to hear, "Jacob's been back in the US for 3 months more than he said he was." He looked Danny in the eye. "You know why?"

"He was cheating on you."

Sheldon nodded slowly, looking away. "With a woman." He turned his brown eyes back to Danny. "He always said he was gay. See, it's almost like you and Lindsey."

Danny swallowed, watching the floor. "Do you know her?"

Sheldon shook his head and took a deep breath. He got up and as he paced he told Danny what had happened.

* * *

_Sheldon picked up his mobile as he pulled on his jacket._

_"Hawkes?"_

_"Hey baby, you working tonight?"_

_"No, I was just about to come home."_

_"Oh good, I got a surprise for you. Meet me outside the Tick Tock Café in fifteen?"_

_"Tick Tock?" Sheldon smiled as he walked out of the crime lab. "The place we had our first date? This must be special!"_

_"You've no idea sweetheart. See you soon yeah?"_

_"Yeah. I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

_Fifteen minutes later Sheldon arrived at the tiny bohemian café to see his boyfriend dressed smartly at a table in the window. He waved as he entered. Sheldon slid onto the cosy sofa next to Jacob._

_"You didn't tell me we were dressing up." He accused as he took off his jacket. Jacob laughed._

_"I wasn't expecting you to, but you always say I look scruffy so I thought, seeing as this is a special occasion, that I'd tidy up a little." He leaned forwards and slipped an arm around Sheldon's waist to draw him closer for a kiss. After they broke apart Sheldon smiled, then frowned as he tweaked Jacob's tie._

_"So why is this so special? It's not our anniversary."_

_"No," Jacob reached into his pocket, "it's, hopefully, a little more special than that." He brought out a rectangular black velvet box and opened it to reveal a gold wristwatch._

_"Wow!" Sheldon was speechless. "Jacob….what's this for?"_

_"Well," Jacob seemed nervous, "I was going to get a ring but I thought a watch was more manly…." He gazed at Sheldon as Sheldon started to understand._

_"Jacob…"_

_"Sheldon Hawkes," Jacob presented Sheldon with the watch, "will you marry me?"_

_

* * *

_

_Sheldon took the watch off his wrist as he lay in bed after an extraordinary round of sex with Jacob. He gazed at the white face with gold hands, running his thumbs over the glass in front. He felt something on the back so he turned it over. The back was brightly burnished gold as was the rest of the watch but after years of working at the lab Sheldon could see immediately that there had been something engraved on the back of this watch, and it hadn't been entirely removed. He frowned and looked over at Jacob who was snoring. He got out of bed quietly and pulled his trackies on. He wandered into the kitchen and placed the watch on the table, thinking. Finally he went into his study and returned with a soft graphite pencil. He rubbed the pencil over the back of the watch, watching carefully as the graphite flakes fell into the lines that were still there._

_Jacob was awaken by something hitting him hard on the head._

_"Jesus Christ!" he rubbed his forehead and saw that it was the alarm clock that had hit him. "What the hell?"_

_"What's this Jacob?" Jacob looked up to see Sheldon fully dressed holding the watch up so he could see the back where the graphite was clearly showing the words, _To My Darling Christina._ When Jacob didn't answer immediately, Sheldon lost his temper for the second time and flung the watch at him, then asked in a dangerously soft voice "Who the hell is Christina, Jacob?"_

_"She's no one! Sheldon, baby, she's no one-"_

_"Then why did you give me a watch which you had originally intended for her?" Jacob rubbed his forehead again, trying to find an excuse. Sheldon climbed on to the bed and grabbed Jacob's chin roughly so he was looking directly into his eyes. "Who. Is. She?"_

_"She's just someone I knew in the army, the watch was a joke for her, we used to joke when we were in Afghanistan that we were married."_

_"It's a very expensive joke." Sheldon pointed out dangerously. Jacob reached up and stroked Sheldon's cheek._

_"I swear, it was a joke, that's all it was." Jacob's mobile rang. Sheldon glared into his eyes then shrugged him off, going into the lounge. "Sheldon! Shit." Jacob got up as fast as he could, desperate to get to the phone before Sheldon did. He raced into the lounge only to see Sheldon pick up the phone._

_"It's Christina." He said. _

_"Sheldon…." Sheldon flipped the phone open and put it on speakerphone._

_"Hello?"_

_"Hi, Jacob honey is that you?"_

_"Yes." Sheldon replied._

_"Listen honey, I've been thinking, I'm sorry how I reacted and everything, I was just kinda shocked, I mean we've only known each other properly for a year, and we've only, you know," she giggled "known each other _intimately _for six months or so, right? But, well, is it too late to say yes?" Sheldon looked directly at Jacob who was speechless and frozen. "Jacob?" said the voice, "honey?" Sheldon shut the phone and threw it at Jacob._

_

* * *

_

"Fucking asshole!" Danny was furious. "What fucking right does he have?" he was on his feet now, appalled at how Jacob had treated Sheldon. "What fucking….Fuck!" Sheldon was leaning against the far wall by the window with his hands in his pockets. He shook his head, biting his lip.

"I just wish I'd found out sooner. I feel like such an idiot, saying I'd marry him when he'd been cheating on me and intending to carry on after we were married."

"Seriously?" Danny was incredulous. "He said that?"

"He said he didn't know which of us he loved more and he hoped that proposing would show him which of _us _loved him more, so he could make a decision." Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "I'm such an idiot"

"No," Danny walked over to him and put his hands on Sheldon's shoulders. "no you're not, he's the idiot. At least you're rid of him now, you can move on."

"Yeah…" Danny put his arms around Sheldon and Sheldon put his arms around Danny's waist. They stayed like that for a while, Danny knowing Sheldon needed the hug, but unable to stop his heart from pounding in his chest.

** love you alllxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**p.s crossover coming soon ;)**


	19. Thank You

Hello Everyone, long time no write! I apologise profusely, I am finishing a chapter RIGHT NOW, and I want to say a very big thank you to everyone who reviewed this story and my other story because you've all been so sweet and supportive, and I feel very appreciated! I LOVE YOU ALL!

NEW CHAPTER COMING SOON!


	20. CampDotCom

The divorce was back on, unsurprisingly. Danny dreaded the day when he would become The-Father-Who-Left and have to pay child support. He was very grateful for Sheldon's friendship during this period. Sheldon needed support after kicking Jacob out of his life, and Danny needed support so he could bear the fact that most of his friends were no longer speaking to him. It was hard, especially now Don barely looked at him these days, and all Stella had to say was a barbed insult.

Danny dragged himself up the stairs and poked his head around Mac's office door.

"Heanly's not our guy." He reported without enthusiasm. "his alibi checks out."

"Who are our other suspects?" Mac inquired, sorting through files on his desk. Danny took a step into the office.

"No one." Mac glanced up.

"No one?" he asked incredulously. Danny shrugged. Mac sighed and threw some files back on to the pile. He passed a hand over his eyes before replacing it on his hip.

"Sorry," Danny offered dully. Mac fixed Danny with a hard stare. Danny returned it for a moment then turned away, then thought again and turned back. "So you hate me like the rest of them do then?" Mac shook his head despairingly.

"What you did was wrong," he said seriously, "and you know that. Personally I feel like all this punishment is getting out of hand." He sat in his swivel chair and rubbed a hand over his eyes. Danny walked into the office and let the door swing shut behind him. Mac looked up at him again and motioned Danny to sit in the chair opposite. Danny reluctantly pulled the chair out and sat. There was a pause.

"I'm sick of this."

"So am I." Mac remarked humourlessly. There was another pause. "look," Mac leant forwards, "I'll tell you what I think the others are thinking. Lindsey's obvious, she feels hurt and betrayed, but Don also feels betrayed. He doesn't hate you, but he's hurt that you didn't trust him enough to confide to him what you were going through. I guess he feels replaced, by Hawkes." There was a silence as Mac waited for Danny to say something, but Danny had nothing to say. He continued; "Stella's taken Lindsey's side but she feels….let down, disappointed by you. She expected better of you. Frankly, I think we all did."

"You all expect too much of me then."

Mac leant back in his chair. "You're a better person than you let yourself believe." He said, raising his eyebrows. "You know what the main thing is?"

"Please tell me!" Danny cried with exasperation.

"No one's really certain that you're gay." Mac said. There was a pause as Danny shook his incredulously. Before he had a chance to say anything Mac carried on, "no one's heard your side of the story, not even Sheldon as far as I'm aware. Everyone's made a judgement based on what Lindsey's said. No one knows if you cheated callously or because you were unsure what your sexuality was. So everyone's assumed the former."

There was a long silence while Danny thought about all this.

"What am I supposed to do?" He asked desperately. "Call a press conference so everyone knows what hell I've been through trying to work out where all these feelings have come from?" Mac nodded slightly.

"A press conference might be a little extreme," he remarked with a smile, "But you could start by explaining to me." For the first time in weeks Danny felt a weight lifting from his shoulders. He felt he could start to breathe easy.

Things gradually began to return to normal after the talk with Mac. When Danny tried to explain what he'd been thinking he was surprised at how readily people seem to want to listen. Of course the hardest person to explain it all to was Lindsey, since she wouldn't listen.

"I don't care anymore Danny! Can't you understand, you've messed my life up enough without adding….what you think you've found out about yourself."

"Lindsey I'm sorry-"

"Don't bother, just…don't even try." She walked out of the trace lab. Danny hung his head in shame.

"Hey Messer," Danny looked up to see Don in the doorway. "you wanna come out for a drink tonight? Sheldon said some of his friends are all meeting up, and I'm kinda interested to see the inside of a gay bar-!"

"Oh no, Don, you serious?" Danny couldn't help grinning at Don's shrug.

"Why not? Who knows, I might discover something about myself! See you downstairs at eight?"

"Yeah sure. Hey Don!" Don turned back. Danny gestured helplessly for a moment. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about all this. I just…I dunno…" Don came into the lab and walked round to Danny.

"Hey, Mess," Danny looked up, "it's fine, ok? You know, we both did wrong. I'm just glad we're talking again."

"yeah," Danny smiled with relief "me too." Don clapped him on the shoulder then left.

"How gay are your friends?"

Sheldon snorted at the question. "Are you scared someone's going to out-butch you?" he asked. Danny shrugged defensively.

"No! I just need to be aware if there's a…I dunno a Richard Simmons or something." Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"Yan's quite gay, the rest of them….not so much." Danny didn't look convinced. Sheldon put an arm around his shoulders. "Will you relax? What's the big deal, you've been to a gay club before."

"Yeah, but not with you, and Don."

"this is going to be hilarious!" Sheldon grinned at Danny.

All Danny could concentrate on was those eyes, those lips, that chest, (Sheldon was wearing Danny's favourite top, the really tight short sleeved black one with buttons) Danny pinched himself through his trousers. They started pushing through gay couples making out against lamp posts, walls, on the sidewalk. In the distance Danny could see a very excited, short and skinny Asian guy jumping up and down and waving. Then Sheldon waved back.

"Oh no," Danny groaned, "that's Yan isn't it?"

"Oi," Sheldon nudged Danny, "you gotta problem with him?"

"You said he was _quite gay_," Danny said accusingly, "you didn't say he was _really camp_."

"Danny, Yan is " Sheldon replied with a smirk.

They reached The Enthusiastic Asian who was surrounded by some other very attractive men, and Yan promptly threw himself on Sheldon.

"Shelley! I haven't seen you FOR AGES!" Cue lots of kisses.

"Hi Yan, URGHLP!" Sheldon looked like he was struggling to breathe. "Help!" he begged Danny. Danny shook his head.

"You got yourself into this mess, you sort yourself out."

"You…" Sheldon disentangled himself from Yan, "are nasty"

"He…" Yan said, looking him up and down, "is GORGEOUS! OHMYGODSHELDONYOUDIDN'TSAYHEWASTHISHOT!"

"I'm scared…." Danny desperately searched around for Don.

"Ok, so you've met Yan," Yan was a head shorter than Sheldon and the rest of the men, and dressed in a bright pink t-shirt that draped off one shoulder and striped long shorts with a sari tied around his waist. His hair had different shades of red and purple going on and had been fashioned to look like a wave. "This is Julian and Carl," two beefed up men in shirts as equally tighter if not tighter than Sheldon's, "and over there is Charlie…Charlie!" Charlie, who was actually a girl, had been chatting to a guy a little way a way and when she turned round that guy turned out to be Don.

"Sheldon!" she came bounding over and gave him a hug. "This is Don isn't it?" don came up apologetically.

"I didn't realise who she was until after she started flirting with me!"

"Don, calm down!" Sheldon laughed. "I don't mind if you want to go out with Charlie, but she is a handful!" Charlie punched Sheldon on the arm, hard. She had one side of her head shaved and the rest of her long black hair had feathers and red bits floating around in it. She looked Japanese and was wearing what looked like a hippie's dress, complete with the vague scent of weed….

"Cool, hi Danny!" she gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "Looks like I'm dancing with you tonight then sexy." She said, turning back to Don. She grabbed his hand, "come on let's go in!" Don's expression was priceless, half bewildered half proud that this girl was dragging him along. Sheldon mouthed 'A Handful' as they walked towards the club's entrance.

_Hello! I'm back! I'm stopping here because I don't want it to run on for too long. Next chapter….GAY CLUB! (I know nothing about gay clubs except what I've seen in Queer As Folk. Good show.)_


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